Haynie Chapel UMC

06/04/2026

Daily Devotional - June 4, 2026

Blessed are the meek; for they will inherit the earth. -Matthew 5:5

Over the last two days, we've been following Jesus' Beatitudes one verse at a time. First, Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," teaching us to recognize our need for God. Then He said, "Blessed are those who mourn," showing us that when we realize how desperately we need God, we grieve over our sin and our need for His grace.

Now go a step further into the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” The word "meek" is usually misunderstood. A lot of people think meekness means weakness, being timid, or being a doormat. But that’s not what Jesus means. Meekness is the attitude of someone who has surrendered their life to God's authority. A meek person isn’t weak. They have learned that God's way is better than their own.

Jesus showed us what meekness looks like. He had the power to calm storms, heal diseases, raise the dead, and even command the armies of heaven. Yet He willingly submitted Himself to the Father's will. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, "Not My will, but Yours be done." That is meekness.

There were lots of times when I was looking for a job that I wanted to tell God how He should solve my problem. I had my plans and my timeline. I knew exactly how I thought things should work out. I needed a job quickly. I wanted stability and I wanted answers. But the longer that time lasted, the more I realized that faith wasn't about getting God to follow my plan. Faith was learning to trust His plan. That wasn't easy. In fact, it was humbling.

Slowly, and I mean slowly, God began teaching me to loosen my grip on my own expectations and trust my future to His hands. I didn't understand everything He was doing, but I learned that I could trust that He was doing it.

Meekness is the ability to say, "Lord, I don't have all the answers, but You do. I don't control the future, but You do. I don't understand Your timing, but I trust Your plan."

To the world, this all sounds backwards because the world says the aggressive, the powerful, and the self-promoting are the ones who get ahead. But Jesus says the opposite. Those who humbly submit themselves to God will receive what He has promised, "for they will inherit the earth."

This promise points to the coming Kingdom of God. One day, Christ will return, and those who belong to Him will share in His eternal kingdom. The inheritance belongs to those who trusted God, not to those who fought for control.

Today, ask yourself this question: What am I still trying to control? Maybe God is inviting you to let go and trust Him. Meekness is not losing. It’s putting your life in the hands of the One who has never failed.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your patience as You teach us to trust You. Forgive us for the times we insist on our own way instead of seeking Yours. Help us to walk in true meekness, surrendering our plans, our desires, and our future into Your hands. Teach us to trust Your wisdom above our own and to follow wherever You lead. In Jesus' name, Amen.

06/03/2026

Daily Devotional - June 3, 2026

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -Matthew 5:4 NIV

Yesterday we looked at the first verse of the Beatitudes where Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Being poor in spirit means recognizing our need for God. It’s understanding that we can’t make it through life on our own and that our greatest need is not more success, more money, or more recognition, but more of Him.

Today, we continue with the second verse of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." We usually think of mourning as something sad or painful, not something blessed. Yet Jesus says there is a blessing found in mourning.

After losing my job and spending a couple of years searching for work, I reached a point where I could no longer hide my disappointment and frustration. I had tried to stay strong. I kept telling myself everything would work out. I tried to carry the burden on my own so I wouldn't worry my family any more than they already were.

But one night, sitting alone in the living room after everyone had gone to bed, it all finally caught up with me. The unanswered applications. The interviews that went nowhere. The fear of not being able to provide. The feeling that I had somehow failed the people I loved most. For the first time, I stopped trying to be strong.

I prayed and I told God exactly how I felt. I admitted my fears, my doubts, my frustrations, and my hurt. Then, something changed. My circumstances didn't change overnight, but my heart did. I experienced a peace that could only come from God.

That's the kind of mourning Jesus is talking about. It’s the mourning that comes when we stop pretending everything is fine. It is the sorrow that comes when we recognize our need for God's grace. It is the grief we feel over our sins, our failures, our brokenness, and the brokenness we see in the world around us. The world tells us to hide our pain, deny our struggles, and keep moving forward. But Jesus invites us to bring our pain to Him.

The promise in this verse says, "for they will be comforted." Comforted, not ignored nor shamed. See, God draws near to the brokenhearted. He reminds us that His grace is greater than our failures and His love is stronger than our disappointments.

Yesterday's Beatitude taught us that we need God. Today's Beatitude teaches us that when we bring our hurts, failures, and sorrows to Him, He comforts us. The blessing is not found in the pain itself. The blessing is found in the presence of God in the middle of it.

If you're carrying grief today, whether from a loss, a disappointment, a failure, or a burden no one else sees, don't run from God. Run to Him. The same Savior who says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," also says, "Blessed are those who mourn." And His promise is still true today, “They will be comforted.”

Heavenly Father, thank You for being with us in our times of sorrow and weakness. Help us to bring our hurts, disappointments, and failures to You instead of carrying them alone. Remind us that You are close to the brokenhearted and that Your comfort is greater than our pain. Thank You for Your unfailing love and grace. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

Daily Devotional - June 2, 2026

Have you ever noticed that the people who seem to grow the most in their faith are usually the ones who know they need God, not the ones who think they have all the answers? They understand that without Him they can't make it. And that's how Jesus begins His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3.

Here, Jesus is standing on a hillside overlooking the crowds, and He starts His message with words that probably surprised everyone, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." What He is saying is, blessed are those who recognize their need for God and come to Him with humble hearts.

As I’ve mentioned before, several years ago I lost my job unexpectedly. Like many people, I spent years working hard, providing for my family, and building a career. Part of my identity was wrapped up in being a provider. Then, almost overnight, that security was gone.

For the next couple of years, I searched for work. I sent out applications, attended interviews, and followed every lead I could find. Yet nothing seemed to happen. Each rejection letter felt a little heavier than the one before. The bills kept arriving, savings began to disappear, and uncertainty settled into our home.

What made it even harder was the feeling that I had somehow failed my family. As a husband and father, I felt responsible for providing for those I loved. I would lie awake at night wondering if I had let them down. I questioned myself. I questioned my abilities. Sometimes I even questioned my worth.

Looking back, I can see that God was bringing me to a place where I could no longer rely on my résumé, my experience, my education, or my plans. A place where I had to rely completely on Him.

That's what Jesus means when He says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Being poor in spirit is not about thinking less of yourself. It is about recognizing that without God, we are spiritually bankrupt. We don't have enough wisdom, strength, or resources to carry life's burdens by ourselves. We need Him.

During that difficult time, I learned that my value was not found in a job title, a paycheck, or what I could provide. My value was found in being a child of God. I learned that God's love for me didn’t depend on my success or failure. And I learned that when all my plans, abilities, and resources fell short, God's faithfulness never did. The world tells us to be self-sufficient. Jesus tells us to be God-dependent.

The promise Jesus gives, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" says that the kingdom belongs to those who know they need God. It belongs to those who come to Him with humble hearts. It belongs to those who have stopped pretending they can do it all on their own.

If you're carrying a burden today, if you're feeling inadequate, overwhelmed, or even like you've failed, remember that those feelings can become an invitation to draw closer to God. The people who experience His grace most deeply are often those who know how desperately they need it. And that's the blessing of being poor in spirit. When we finally realize we can't do it alone, we find out that we never had to.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us even when we feel weak, inadequate, or defeated. Help us to stop relying on our own strength and to place our trust fully in You. Remind us that our worth is found in being Your children, not in our accomplishments or failures. Teach us to walk humbly with You and to depend on Your grace each day. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

06/01/2026

Daily Devotional - June 1, 2026

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. -Psalms 42:11 NIV

About 10 years ago, I lost my job unexpectedly. For a couple of years I searched for work, sent out applications, and attended interviews, but nothing seemed to happen. Each rejection made me wonder if I would ever find a steady job again. Bills continued to come, savings disappeared, and discouragement was high. Every morning I’d woke up with the same thought, “What if I never find a job? What if things don't get better?”

But now I realized something important. I had been listening to my fears more than I had been listening to God. So instead of letting those thoughts rule my mind, I started praying. When anxiety would tell me, "There is no hope," I would remind myself of God's promises. When fear said, "You're alone," I’d reminded myself that God had never left me.

My circumstances didn’t change overnight. The job didn’t appear the next day. But I began to change the way I looked at my situation. I stopped allowing my feelings to have the final word.

That’s exactly what Psalm 42:11 is about. The psalmist doesn't deny that he is discouraged. He doesn't pretend everything is fine. Instead, he asks himself, "Why, my soul, are you downcast?" Then he gives himself a command: "Put your hope in God."

We do the same thing today. Sometimes we have to stop listening to our fears, doubts, and discouragements and start reminding ourselves of what we know to be true about God. Our feelings may be real, but they aren’t always reliable. But God's promises are.

I remember a quote I once read that said much of our unhappiness comes from listening to ourselves instead of talking to ourselves. Psalm 42:11 teaches us to preach God's truth to our own hearts. When we feel discouraged, we can say: "Soul, I know you're tired. I know you're worried. I know you're hurting. But put your hope in God. He has been faithful before, and He will be faithful again."

That doesn't always change our circumstances immediately, but it changes where we put our trust and that’s where healing begins.

Heavenly Father, when our hearts are discouraged and our souls feel weary, help us to place our hope in You. Remind us of Your faithfulness, Your presence, and Your promises. Strengthen our faith, calm our fears, and give us the confidence to praise You even in difficult times. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

05/31/2026

Daily Devotional - May 31, 2026

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. -2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

WOW! This is a powerful verse. Not only is His grace sufficient, but His power is made perfect in weakness. Think about that for a moment. When we are at our weakest moments in life, His power rests on us.

To fully appreciate what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 12:9, we need to understand what led up to this verse. In verses 1-8, Paul describes the experience of being caught up into heaven and witnessing things beyond human words. Yet Paul doesn't focus on that experience. Instead, he puts his attention to what he calls a "thorn in the flesh," a persistent struggle that caused him pain and hardship.

Paul prayed three times for God to remove this thorn. He wanted relief and healing. He wanted the struggle to end. But God's answer was not what Paul expected. Instead of removing the thorn, God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Most of us pray like Paul. We ask God to remove the difficulty, fix a problem, heal our illness, restore the relationship, or eliminate the obstacle. There is nothing wrong with those prayers. Paul prayed them also. But sometimes God's answer is not what we expect. Sometimes His answer is His presence.

I remember a time in my life when I lost my job and spent three years trying to find stable work. There were lots of prayers asking God to open a door, provide an opportunity, and just change my circumstances. Looking back, I can see that while God didn't immediately remove the struggle, He never left me in it. His grace carried me through every bill that got paid, every encouraging word that came at the right moment, and every day when I had just enough strength to keep going.

That’s what Paul discovered. God's power is often most visible when our strength is low or gone. When we reach the end of ourselves, we begin to rely fully on Him. Our weakness becomes the place where God's strength shines brightest.

So whatever burden you may be carrying today, remember that God's grace is not merely enough to help you survive. His grace is sufficient to sustain you, strengthen you, and carry you through. And in those moments when you feel weakest, God's power is resting on you in ways you may not even see.

Heavenly Father, thank You that Your grace is sufficient for every challenge, every burden, and every weakness we face. Help us to trust You when our prayers are answered differently than we expect. Remind us that Your power is made perfect in our weakness and that we never walk through life's struggles alone. Give us the strength to depend on You more fully each day. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

05/30/2026

Daily Devotional - May 30, 2026

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. – Isaiah 1:17 NIV

What I find very interesting about today’s verse is that this verse goes back to over 2,700 years ago and it is still very relevant today. See, back then people were worshiping God, offering sacrifices, and observing spiritual practices. From appearance, it looked like they were doing the right thing. But they were ignoring those in need around them.

Doesn’t seem too different from today. The words of God spoken through Isaiah over 2,700 years ago are the same words being spoken to us now. God is showing us what faith really looks like from the beginning of this verse to the end.

“Learn to do right” Doing the right thing doesn’t always just happen. Sometimes, it’s difficult. Because of our selfish nature, we have to be intentional about doing right. I checked into a hotel earlier this week and the person checking me in at the counter was not in the best mood. No eye contact, no smile, no greeting, short snappy words. Not even saying full sentences. “Driver’s License!” Not even a please.

My “old self” would have probably confronted his attitude. Maybe even treated him the same way or demanded a manager. But, instead, I just smiled anyway. I tried to use humor to break the tension and as I was leaving, I said, “Thank you” cheerfully and “Have a great day.” Then said a prayer for him silently as I walked out.

There are probably more right ways to handle a situation like that, but hey, I’m learning one step at a time. Learning to do right can be small steps like that. Just being kind to others, even if they aren’t kind to you.

Seeking justice takes doing right a step further. It means to actively pursue not only what is right, but also what is fair, especially for those who are treated unfairly. Which is defined in the rest of the verse, “…Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” This means helping those who are mistreated, taken advantage of, or who are burdened by others. Protecting and caring for those who don’t have anyone to protect them. And, standing up for those who are vulnerable and overlooked.

We can do this in simple ways like helping at a food pantry, visiting the sick, getting involved in community outreach, welcoming newcomers, and caring for those who are forgotten. The truth is that God wants faith that walks out the door and into the community. A church without walls. A faith that treats people with dignity, that notices those who are hurting, and that reflects His love through our actions.

Isaiah reminds us that worship is more than what happens on Sunday morning. It is also how we treat people on Monday morning. Every act of kindness, every effort to help someone in need, every choice to do what is right instead of what is easy is an opportunity to live out our faith.

So, as we start our day, consider who around us needs kindness, encouragement, protection, or support? Then take one small step. After all, we are all learning to do right one step at a time.

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that true faith is more than words, songs, or religious activities. Teach us to do what is right and help us grow in kindness, compassion, and justice. Open our eyes to those who are hurting, overlooked, or in need. Give us the courage to stand up for what is right and the wisdom to reflect Your love in our daily actions. Help us to be people whose faith is seen not only in what we say, but in how we live. In Jesus’ name. we pray. Amen.

05/29/2026

Daily Devotional - May 29, 2026

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that It will be even more fruitful. -John 15:2 NIV
This verse comes from the passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus is talking about the vine and the branches. And basically, Jesus is saying, “Stay connected to Me.” Just as a branch receives life, strength, and nourishment from the vine, we receive our spiritual life, strength, and growth from Christ.

You know, we all like the idea of growth and blessing, but pruning? Not so much. But anyone who has spent time gardening understands exactly what Jesus is talking about. A gardener doesn't prune a healthy plant because he doesn’t like it. He prunes it because he cares about it. If you've ever grown tomatoes, roses, or fruit trees, you know that sometimes healthy branches have to be trimmed away. Dead growth is removed. Branches that are taking energy away from producing fruit are carefully pruned. It might look like the gardener is hurting the plant. But the gardener knows that cutting back today leads to greater growth tomorrow.

A couple of years ago, I noticed a neighbor's tree looked like it was dead. One landscaper looked at it and said the best option was to remove it completely. Pull it out and replace it. Another landscaper saw things differently. He suggested cutting it back instead. Prune away all the dead branches but leave the main trunk in place.

My neighbor chose the second option. After the pruning was done, the tree looked worse than before. All that remained was the main trunk sticking out of the ground. No branches. No leaves. No signs of life. It looked as though the tree was finished. We wondered which landscaper was right. But the second landscaper understood something we didn't. The tree wasn't dead; it just needed pruning. Slowly, over the following months, small green shoots began to appear. Then new branches emerged. Before long, the tree was full of leaves and thriving again. (I wish I would have taken before and after pictures of the tree, but unfortunately, I didn't think it would come up in a devotional :) LOL)

Jesus uses a similar picture in John 15:2. Sometimes God's work in our lives looks like that pruning. He cuts away what is dead, unhealthy, or keeping us from becoming what He created us to be. During those times, it may feel like we are losing something important. We may even wonder if God has forgotten us. But the Gardener sees what we can’t see. He knows that pruning is not about destroying the plant; it is about helping it flourish.

The lesson is that God's pruning is not a sign that He has given up on us. Quite the opposite. Pruning is evidence that He is still working in us, shaping us, and preparing us to bear even more fruit. What looks like loss today may be the beginning of new growth tomorrow.

The key is remaining connected to the Vine. When we stay close to Christ through prayer, worship, Scripture, and obedience, God continues His work in us. And the result is a life that bears the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and faithfulness.

Today, if God is trimming something from your life, trust the Gardener. He sees what you can’t see. He knows what needs to be removed, what needs to grow, and what kind of fruit your life can produce when you remain connected to Jesus.

Lord, thank You for being the Gardener who lovingly cares for us. Help us trust You when Your pruning work is uncomfortable or difficult to understand. Give us the faith to remain connected to Jesus, the true Vine, and allow Your Spirit to produce good fruit in our lives. Shape us into the people You have called us to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.

05/28/2026

Daily Devotional - May 28, 2026

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. -Proverbs 9:10 NIV

Wisdom and understanding. Isn’t that what we all strive for? At least, I do. Today’s verse tells us how we can get wisdom and understanding. And it’s a simple formula that’s laid out in Proverbs 9:10

That word “fear” doesn’t mean what we may first think it does. Fear of the Lord isn’t about being terrified of God or constantly afraid that He is waiting for us to fail. It means having a deep respect, reverence, and awe for who God is. It means recognizing that God is holy, powerful, loving, and worthy of our trust and obedience. In other words, wisdom begins when we stop placing ourselves at the center of everything and start placing God there instead.

A lot of people today search for wisdom in books, podcasts, social media, success seminars, or through life experience alone. And while those things may offer knowledge, biblical wisdom is different. Biblical wisdom is not just knowing information. It is knowing how to apply it to live right before God and with others.

I remember growing up, there were certain people we respected when they walked into a room. And we didn’t respect them because they demanded fear, but because their character, wisdom, and presence commanded respect. We would listen carefully when they spoke because we knew they had lived through things we hadn’t. In a bigger way, fearing the Lord means recognizing that God sees what we can’t see, He knows what we don’t know, and He understands life way beyond our limited perspective.

And the second part of the verse says, “knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” This means the closer we grow to God, the more clearly we begin to see life. We begin to understand people better and begin to understand ourselves better. We start to discern what truly matters and what does not. And, we grow closer to God through scripture and prayer.

True wisdom and understanding are not measured by how intelligent we appear, how much money we earn, or how successful the world sees us. A person can have education, influence, and achievement and still lack godly wisdom and spiritual understanding. True wisdom begins with humility before God, and true understanding comes from knowing Him, trusting Him, and seeing life through His truth instead of our own pride or limited perspective.

Lord, help us to seek true wisdom that begins with You. Teach us to walk with reverence, humility, and trust in Your guidance. Give us understanding in our decisions, our relationships, and our daily lives. Help us not to lean only on our own understanding, but to acknowledge You in all we do. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

05/27/2026

Daily Devotional - May 27, 2026

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. -2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV

One of the things I love about 2 Corinthians 9:7 is that it reminds us that giving is not supposed to come from pressure or guilt. It is supposed to come from the heart. I remember my dad used to say, “The church always wants money.” Now, that never stopped him from attending church or giving. What bothered him was when it felt like the focus was more on the offering than on God’s grace and love. At the same time, he also understood the church needs resources to continue doing the work of God. Ministry, missions, helping people, keeping the doors open, serving the community, all of that takes support.

Paul teaches that God is more concerned with how and why we give than what we give. The focus is not really the money itself. The focus is the condition of our heart. Giving should come through prayer, gratitude, and discernment, not pressure or embarrassment.

And giving is more than money. We give through our time, our talents, our encouragement, our service, our forgiveness, and even the attention we give to someone who feels forgotten. Some people may never place much money in an offering plate, but they faithfully give kindness, compassion, and love everywhere they go. Those things matter to God too.

When I first came into our church, I noticed something different. The offering plate was not passed around during worship. Instead, it sat at the front of the church, open for anyone who desired to give. That practice started during COVID and simply stayed in place ever since.

I remember thinking about whether we should return to the traditional passing of the plate. But the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated the subtleness of it. Nobody pressured, feeling guilty, or watching. People simply giving from the heart as they felt led through prayer. And you know what? That plate still fills.

To me, that reflects this verse beautifully. The focus is not on demanding something from people. The focus is on people receiving God’s grace, love, and attention, and then responding from the heart. That’s the kind of giving God loves. Giving that isn’t forced or through guilt. But cheerful giving that comes from a heart shaped by grace.

Lord, thank You for the grace and love You freely give to us every day. Shape our hearts to be generous, not only with money, but also with our time, kindness, encouragement, and compassion. Help us never to give out of guilt or pressure, but out of gratitude and love for You. Teach us to reflect Your grace in the way we serve and care for others. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.