South Strand Celebrate Recovery

10/28/2026

Day 3: When You Need Peace

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6–7 nkjv).

I grew up in Dubai, where the traditional Arabic greeting issn’t hello. It’s As-salamu Alaikum, which means, “Peace be with you.” The correct response is, Wa Alaikum Assalam, which means, “And peace be with you also.”

Even saying goodbye (Ma’a salama) carries a deeper meaning: “Go in peace.” It’s similar in Jewish culture. Inherently, coming into or leaving someone’s presence is a recognition of the one thing every human longs for: peace.

Jesus said the following: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 niv). Jesus’ peace is different from what the world understands to be peace: “I may not be all that they need, but I’m enough,” “Do what feels right,” and “Follow your heart”. All of these rely on our own estimation of things, but that’s what got us into trouble in the first place.

But the world’s notion of peace is actually far shallower than the richness found in Christ! We were actually built for a far superior: the peace which surpasses all understanding. It burrows deep and does a deeper work—guarding our hearts and minds from eternal panic. So if you want a piece of that peace, look nowhere else but the feet of Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace. Ask early and often. Ask with a grateful heart, knowing that what He achieved on the cross was shalom, real peace. It’s not simply an absence of trouble, but wholeness, completeness, and everything-as-it-should-be. It was what we were made for. Anything less will never satisfy!

When life is overwhelming, focus on the Lord. When priorities are swirling about, competing for your attention, put the Lord first. Everything vying for your attention will fall into order behind Him. Bring your requests to Him, bring your anxiety to Him, rejoice in Him, and He will give you His peace.

Respond

What circumstances make it difficult for you to unwind and find peace?

Where, outside of God, are you tempted to look for peace?

What does it look like for you to put God first in your life? How does this change your priorities on a day-to-day basis?

Prayer

Lord, I am desperate for the kind of peace that only You can give. Thank You for the work that You accomplished on the cross so that I could experience wholeness and satisfaction in You. When I am weak, You are strong. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. When my spirit faints within me, You know my way. Please take this burden of anxiety that I’ve been carrying around. Fill my heart with the richness of Your shalom. Amen.

10/27/2026

Day 2: When You Need Strength

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future (Proverbs 31:25 nlt).

Read that again. Is that you? No? Sometimes? Not today, though, huh? Me neither. I’m going to ask you to do something weird. You may feel uncomfortable but I urge you to push through. Read Proverbs 31:25 aloud. Replace “she” with “I”. Read it a few more times.

Where do you stumble? For me, it’s the word “strength”. I have moments of feeling strong, but honestly more often than not, I feel weak. The needs and challenges of my life seem so huge, and I am so small. Do you relate?

The Word of God can be confusing when it comes to strength.

But [God] 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).

The Christian walk is one that embraces contradiction: we surrender to find power, we gain freedom by being dependent, we are weak in order to be strong.

Let’s read that last one again: Our strength begins in our weakness!

Wait, what?

Here’s how I understand it. God’s strength is delivered via His grace to us. Sometimes grace removes that thing that makes us feel weak. Sometimes He leaves it there, as a thorn in our side. But He also strengthens us to shoulder that burden, so rather than understanding His strength on a book-smart level, we feel it viscerally, in our bones and sinew. His strength is the miraculous power to make the difficult, tolerable.

There’s no working around it. We cannot experience or accept God’s strength unless we first acknowledge our weakness. We must drop the illusion of self-sufficiency.

Go back to Proverbs 31, particularly verse 30: The root of her strength (described in v. 25) is her fear of the Lord. We must start with Him, especially when we don’t feel like we have much to give to the battle. Instead, let’s take what little strength we have, to love the Lord (See Mark 12:30)!

He in turn does what He does best: He takes our two mites and multiplies it beyond our wildest imagination! Don’t forget that we serve the God that promised:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you (Isaiah 43:2 esv).

You don’t need to feel strong. You are strong, because the God who parted the Red Sea and raised His Son from the dead has your back. He clothes you with His strength.

Respond

How can you love the Lord your God with all your strength right now?

Where do you feel His strength in your life today?

How can you depend on Him for His strength right now?

Prayer

Jesus, I surrender every corner of my life to You. Thank You for Your grace that strengthens me to serve You. You, alone, are my source of strength, and I depend on You to sustain me and help me depend on You. May my life, because of Your grace and strength bring glory to You. Amen.

10/26/2026

The name of this devotional is called Unwind by Aarti Sequeira.
Day 1: When You Need a Fresh Start
Have you ever gotten to a point where you’re just totally and utterly sick of yourself? Whether it’s my insecurities or my stubborn streak or the entire wreckage of neuron-firing synapses that make me the person I am, sometimes I fling myself at God, crying out, “Ugh, Lord! Why am I like this! Fix it, Jesus!”
The good news is that God is in the fresh-start business!
My daughters and I love watching videos of reptiles sloughing off their old, dried out skin to reveal the bright, shiny scales underneath. I’ve always wondered whether the poor creature is itchy or uncomfortable as the old is torn away. Have you ever felt that discomfort, spiritually? When you first come to Christ, God makes something new out of you.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 esv).
But as we continue in Christ, He continues to give us fresh starts as He sanctifies us. Perhaps when I’m craving a restart button, it’s a sign that the old skin is ready to be sloughed off. The discomfort we’re feeling right now is necessary, darling one, because it signals that the new creation is ready to be unveiled. Oh, what a delight! Let’s rejoice in the discomfort because it means the new skin is about to be revealed in all its beauty and glory. In the Greek, the word old is archaios, which sounds an awful lot like archaic to me. The longing for a fresh start is a signal that the way we’ve been operating is now outdated. It’s not who we are anymore. It’s time to leave it in the past and step into the new future God has for us.
Archaios also denotes a movement forward. As you walk toward where God is bidding, the old things may tug at you. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said that it was easier for God to create the world than to make new creations out of us, because the world never resisted His hand! But we have “our stubborn wills, our deep prejudices all these, great God, opposed thee.”* Thank goodness that our Father is not only mightier than our will but also kind enough to overcome it! In the midst of the challenges of being made new, take heart our Father has new, fresh things in store for us (see Isaiah 43:18–19).
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18–19 niv).
A fresh start is available to anyone in Christ, no matter who we are or what we’ve done. Because of what Christ has done for us, His power is available to make us new (see Romans 6:4). Reach out, sweet one. Consider whether you have any old skins that need to come off. Offer them to God, and just you wait until you see the new one God has created specifically and uniquely for you.
*“The Believer a New Creature,” July 18, 1869, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 15, https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-believer-a-new-creature/ /
Respond
What do you need right now to begin fresh? How is this need answered in Jesus?
What old things need to come off for God to do something new in your life?
How has God been faithful to you in the past? What hope does this give you for the opportunity to begin anew in the moments ahead?
Prayer
Thank You, Jesus, for fresh starts! I don’t know what each new day holds, but I know that it comes from You and is full of the promise of Your faithfulness to do new things for Your glory by Your power. My hope is built on Your love and Your sacrifice on my behalf. As I walk through today, may I grow and flourish as I am rooted in You. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:17 — The Believer a New Creature “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” — 2 Corinthians v. 17. THIS text is…

10/25/2026

Pillow Talk

Prayer is not a way to win; it is the only way to win.

Jesus came to this earth to save us from our sin and point us to the Father. However, when you think about how often Jesus slipped away from the crowds to talk to the Father, we cannot deny the high emphasis Jesus placed on prayer.

When I was young in my faith with very little understanding of the Bible, I began to notice how often Jesus prayed. I wrestled with the idea if Jesus felt the need to pray throughout His journey in this world, how much more should I? Even though I respected prayer and saw my desperate need to talk with God, I was clueless. What should I say? How should I say it? What could I tell God that He did not already know? What if I said something wrong? The fear I’d say the wrong thing kept me from praying at all. I heard it once said, “Satan doesn’t care if we go to church. He doesn’t care if we go to the mission field. What scares Satan the most is a kneeling Christian speaking to their loving and powerful God.”

As we face the coming days, fearful of the many “what if’s,” our greatest defense is prayer. Many people have called prayer a Christian’s greatest weapon. I do believe prayer is powerful, but I’ve yet to see in Scripture the power being in the words spoken in prayer or even in the one praying. Instead, the power is in the One being spoken to, God Almighty.

Let’s learn from the best, Jesus! Overwhelmed with grief in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knelt down to pray. In great agony, His sweat became like drops of blood. He fell to the ground and uttered the words, “Not My will, but Thine be done.” (Mark 14:36) It was not the words, but the surrender to God's will that gave Him the power to face His enemy, death. Now, that’s genuine godly power!

Even if it does not change our circumstances, prayer changes us. Prayer does not demand our will; it changes our perspective and hearts to desire God’s will.

Our weapon to fight any fear, crisis, doubt, or insecurity aiming to wage war against our minds, soul, and spirit is to surrender each longing, concern, and fear in prayer with a steadfast desire to do whatever God asks. Let me tell you, this isn’t easy to do! Jesus can testify to this. However, when we walk in God’s will, we can be confident we are walking on conquered ground. Like we said yesterday, our battles are already won! We can take our position as His child and enter into His presence to share our life experiences with our conquering King! Death could not hold Him down and the threat of death cannot get us down. A life surrendered to His will is a life worth living!

10/24/2026

What’s in a Name?
God is who He says He is; He can and will do what He says He can and will do.
As we have journeyed through the twenty-third Psalm together, I pray you have felt God’s peace, comfort, and security each step along the way. More importantly, I hope you have seen more clearly the loving heart of your Good Shepherd. When most people read David’s Psalm, they are either looking for a way to find meaning and purpose for their suffering or trying to pick up the pieces from shattered dreams.
For many years, I approached the Bible as a textbook. When life wasn’t turning out like I had dreamed it would, I’d look to the Bible for answers to my “why.” God used studying the book of Job to show me He doesn’t always answer our “why.” Instead, He desires to take our focus off of our suffering and onto Himself. When we respond in faith and look to Him, He shows us His mighty power and great love.
I can honestly say, I do not know how anyone can live in this world without this assurance: not all things are good, but God is good in all things. God is not our free pass out of the storms of life, but He is our peace within the storm.
David did not get everything right, but one thing he did get right was what he treasured most—his relationship with God. It didn’t matter if his life was good or if his life was threatened by the evil intentions of others, He called upon the name of God. Today, let's go back through Psalm 23 and reflect on the different names of God:
1 The LORD is my Shepherd: Jehovah Rohi, He is our Shepherd.
2 I shall not want: Jehovah Jireh, He is our provider.
3 He makes me lie down in green pastures and still waters: Jehovah Shalom, He is our peace.
4 He restores my soul and guides me in His righteousness: Jehovah Tsidkenu, He is our righteousness.
5 For you are with me: Jehovah Shammah, He is the God who is always there.
6 Your rod and staff comfort me: Jehovah Nissi, He is our banner of victory.
7 Surely goodness and mercy follows us: Jehovah M’Kaddesh, He is the God who sanctifies.
The writer of Proverbs states in 18:10 (ESV), “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” David, a shepherd boy who was known as Israel’s greatest king, knew his limitations, humbled himself, and called upon the name of God.
As we fight whatever battle life throws our way, our greatest defense will be to humble ourselves and call upon the name of God. The same powerful and loving God who allows us to face our enemies is the same God who will lead us to victory.

10/22/2026

Walk Me Home

This is not our home, but until the day we are in God’s presence forever, we can rest in confidence that His goodness and love is following us.

I’ve heard it said, “You can’t outrun God.” There was a time in my life when I certainly tried. Not only did I try to outrun God, I tried to run from myself. I was going through a very confusing season. It wasn’t a national crisis, but an identity crisis. I didn’t know the truth of who God is, and I certainly did not know who God created me to be. I had no concept of what it meant to be a new creation in Christ. When all hope seemed lost and life would seemingly never look the same, it was too hard to put the past behind me and reach forward to what was next. It was too hard for me to see any goodness in the midst of my pain, let alone a hopeful future.

When I read David’s words, “Surely, goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life” (NASB), I am reminded that good and merciful are also listed among the many attributes of God. It is not only what He does, but it is who God is. He will not withhold what is best from His children or leave them to fend for themselves. Like most children, we have a very limited ability to determine what is best for ourselves. David writes with the assurance that whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we can be assured that although not all things are good, God is good in all things.

The Spirit of God fills the life of every New Testament believer just as His Spirit would fill the Old Testament tabernacle or temple. He is always with us; His mercy is everlasting and His goodness is forever faithful.

When we experience our darkest days, nights, weeks, or months, we may not see God’s presence or His hand guiding us. Yet, once we get through those bleak seasons, we are able to look back and be in awe of the God who never left us alone. God’s light illuminates what the darkness tries to hide. Darkness always tries to hide the goodness of God.

His beauty and love chase after us every day of our lives. When we remember our Shepherd's goodness, it is easier for us to trust him with what’s in front of us. In the midst of a crisis, it can seem He has left us in the dust. But the story isn't over. While we wait for our good Shepherd and valiant warrior to bring us through this difficult race called life, we can simply reach out in faith, trust the Holy Spirit within, and grab the hand of God. There will be a day when we will be home with Jesus in His house forever. Let Him walk us there.

10/21/2026

Eating with the Enemy

When we trust God as our defender, even in the midst of our enemies, we can find rest and peace.

In Psalm 23:5, David says, “God has prepared a table for me in the presence of my enemies.” Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat, but I prefer to be surrounded by people I trust, not in the company of my enemies.

Middle Eastern hospitality is of high value and importance. When someone enters the host’s house, the needs of the guest always supersede the needs of the host until the visit is over. David is picturing God as his host, who will meet his needs and protect and defend him in the midst of his enemies.

Since we know David was running from Saul at the time of Psalm 23, it could be safe to assume David was speaking of Saul being his enemy. Over and over God protected David from being killed by the hands of Saul. However, David never convinced Saul that he was not the man Saul believed him to be. Saul thought David wanted to harm him and steal the throne, when in reality, Saul was trying to harm David, and it was God that took the throne away from Saul.

There will be times when we will be the victims of people's gossip, be falsely accused, or maybe someone will assume wrongly about who we are. We all have enemies in some way or another. I find a lot of comfort in knowing Jesus had a lot of enemies as well. His enemies refused to accept the truth of who He was and continually questioned His intentions and motives. Nonetheless, Jesus never tried to defend His actions to anyone who refused to get to know Him.

The key to Psalm 23:5: God, not ourselves, will defend us against the hurtful lies intended to destroy our testimony, self-worth, and reputation as a child of God.

Not only is God a good Shepherd, but like David, He is also a great warrior. We can be confident of this one thing: God will take His place as our defender and safeguard. In due time, He will expose the lies aimed to destroy us or our relationships. Just because we can’t see God preparing a table before our enemy doesn’t mean God isn’t behind the scenes prepping the courses. There is nothing sweeter than to wait and allow God to take anything formed against us and turn it around to become our greatest victory. He does a much better job at making things right than we do!

God is the perfect Host who satisfies His children with His presence and cares for our every need. One of the names of God is Jehovah-Nissi, which means God is my banner. Whenever we feel we are surrounded by people who would find more joy in our mistakes than in our victories, we can call upon the name of God and ask Him to fight for us.

10/20/2026

Covered with Comfort

If we allow the hand of God to comfort and guide us, there is nothing God won’t do to protect us.

It is said a shepherd’s rod is like an extension of the shepherd's right arm. It stands to show the shepherd’s authority and strength, a symbol to bring comfort and assurance to the sheep. Predators wait patiently on the outskirts of the shepherd’s flock, looking for their moment to kill. The shepherd uses his rod as a defense and deterrent to protect his sheep against anything aiming to attack. Sheep are also prone to wander, much like people, and can become lost without food or water. The rod gently corrects and guides the sheep along the right path, the path leading them to safety and true life.

Much like a sheep’s shepherd, our good Shepherd is always prepared to use his rod and staff to protect us from what may harm us and tenderly keep us on the best path. Whenever God sees His children moving towards dangerous territory, He will call them to Himself. Using the Holy Spirit and His Word, He guides and directs us, corrects and comforts. His love for us will compel Him to stop us from what isn’t best, even if it means a moment of temporary pain along the way.

I can remember when I was going through a very difficult and dark time. I wanted to walk away from God. A wise pastor said to me, “Do you want to look back at this time and wonder what God would have done if you had only obeyed him?” Even when I was mad at God for not doing what I asked, I knew I did not want to live with regret and miss God’s best for my life. Today, I think of this often when I see all the moments He held onto me when I was willing to let go of Him.

When we say yes to following Jesus, the power of Jesus’ resurrection lives in us to comfort us, bring us peace, counsel, and direction.

The world wants to tell us a good God will not allow bad things to happen. God tells us a good and loving God sent His Son to save us from this world. No one is exempt from facing tribulations, sickness, heartache, and pain. We can face each of these with joy and confidence that Christ will comfort and direct us. The world may hurt us, but it cannot destroy us. We can trust a loving Shepherd to stand in authority over this world, rod in hand, while guiding, comforting, and protecting us throughout each day.

10/18/2026

Touching Arms

The closer we are to the Shepherd, the firmer our foundation.

Have you ever heard the term “cast sheep” or a “cast down sheep?” Neither had I! Now, I am by no means a shepherd, so this term helped me have a deeper understanding of what David is referring to when he says, “The good Shepherd restores his soul.” Phillip Keller says every shepherd has had a cast down sheep at some point or another, and it is a pathetic sight. The cast sheep lies on its back with its feet in the air, frantically struggling to stand up without any success. The only thing the sheep can do is lie there, frightened and frustrated, until its shepherd comes to help. If he is close to the shepherd, the shepherd can immediately turn him over and put him back on his feet again. Sadly, if the sheep is too far away and too much time has passed before the shepherd can come to its rescue, it will die.

As I’m writing this, I can’t help but think there are a lot of God’s sheep who have been led away from their Shepherd and have found themselves helpless on their backs, desperately trying to flip themselves over to stand on their own feet. However, life is showing us we are not capable of turning ourselves over and getting ourselves back on our feet. We need a good Shepherd close by, and thank Jesus, we have One.

In times of uncertainty, it’s easy to not know what to do, and it’s even harder to admit we don’t know what to do. Fear of the unknown will leave the happiest person feeling cast down, disheartened, and often confused to know who to trust. Psalm 23:3 reminds us that God wants to restore our souls and shine His light on the path He has chosen to walk with us.

His path, for you and for me, is for us to be close to Him at all times. So close that when we find ourselves stuck on our backs, feet sticking straight up in the air, He can reach out and restore us back to our feet. There is no better or safer way to walk a path than touching arms with Jesus.

We were created to walk with God. The journey He chooses will be perfect and personally designed for us. As a follower of Jesus, we must remember He does not follow us, even if we think we know the best way to go.

Yes, life as we know it is uncertain and unknown. Although, I believe if we stay close to our Shepherd, He will do whatever it takes to turn us over and plant us on a firm foundation because that’s what good Shepherd’s do. He is worthy of our trust!

(I don’t know if I’ll be able to text from where I am on vacation. If not I’ll be gone 2 weeks.)

10/16/2026

This devotional is called Safe in His Arms by Cup of Joy.
Read Psalm 23.
Embracing the Unknown
When we know who God is, it is easier to trust Him in the unknown.
In moments of uncertainty, pain and suffering, we often lean into the twenty-third Psalm. David, a shepherd boy, became the king of Israel, but not until he faced a season of adversity in the wilderness. When his call to be king seemed a mere dream than reality, he found comfort to reflect on Jehovah God as his protector and provider.
If there was one thing King David knew first hand, it was a sheep’s dependence on the character and trustworthiness of their shepherd to provide for them and protect them. Is there anyone who knows the loving heart of a shepherd more than a shepherd himself?!
Years ago, I realized I did not truly know the love and kindness of God. Not only did I not know who God was, but I did not know who I was as His child. I felt like a dumb sheep walking in circles trying to please a shepherd I did not know. I viewed Him as an angry God, ready to chastise me for the slightest mistake. I lived in fear that God would punish me for the life I lived apart from Him by allowing something bad to happen to the people I love. I admit, I can slip back into embracing those lies at times. However, God has continued to be gracious and loving toward me by showing me if He wanted to punish me for my sins, He would not have punished Jesus by way of the cross.
Jesus said, I AM the Good Shepherd, and I lay down my life for My sheep (you and me). God (the good Shepherd) sent Jesus (the lamb of God) to provide all we need to be able to enter into the presence of a Holy God.
In the days of COVID-19, the entire world was turned upside down and plagued by uncertainty and fear. Out of nowhere, this invisible enemy infiltrated our homeland, invaded our spaces and besieged our bodies, our faith and our minds. Our safety and security was compromised. Many of God’s children were left paralyzed with fear of the unknown.
We asked God to step in and defeat this toxic enemy, but it seemed like the enemy defeated us as it continued to spread.
In scary and unknown times, our greatest need is to go before the Father and ask Him to remind us who He is. He is a Good Shepherd, providing for and protecting us. He is the only One that has the power to change our circumstances. If He doesn’t change our circumstances, then we can trust He has a loving plan we cannot understand at the moment. To live a life of faith is to embrace what we do not know.