Grace River Ministries

Grace River Ministries Grace River Ministries is here to help you experience God and get a true picture of who He is. Few bodies of water are more exciting than rivers. What’s yours?

The whole concept of Grace River Ministries came about as a response to what my husband, Chuck, and I have been experiencing for the last few years. God is taking us through some challenging and, at times, perplexing situations. Through it all, He is opening our eyes and our hearts to see and believe who He truly is. We have experienced a God of grace, a Loving, and Sovereign God who is revealing

Himself to us through a daily personal, loving relationship with Him. The name Grace River originated from Beth Moore’s “Breaking Free” Bible study, where she writes about the peace of God using the illustration of a river, a moving stream of water that can be very peaceful, and very treacherous. Whether our lives are going smoothly or we’re experiencing twists and turns and rolling over boulders and falls, God’s grace can keep us in His perfect peace. He has promised that He will never leave us! She says:

“To have peace like a river is to have security and tranquility of heart and mind while meeting many bumps and unexpected turns on life's journey through change.”

Every river has an upland source and an ultimate outlet. As it travels along, it grows from rain, melting snow and other streams and rivers joining it. As it continues on its journey to the sea, it nourishes all the vegetation along its banks, supplies water and refreshes all who come to it as it remains connected to its source. Likewise, peace like a river flows from a deliberate, continuous connection with our upland Source, Jesus Christ (John 15:4). And, just as rivers are fully dependent and connected to other bodies of water, we as God’s children must be connected to each other. Grace River wants to be a source of encouragement, a place where anyone can share their story and find their worth as a child of our loving Creator. Every river has a story. Chuck & Rosie O’Dell
Founders

06/25/2026

Today's Eternal Promise
June 25, 2026

“The Lord is our protector and glorious king, blessing us with kindness and honor. He does not refuse any good thing to those who do what is right. Lord Almighty, how happy are those who trust in you!” Psalm 84:11-12 (GNT)

Experiencing God Day-by-DayFurthering the GospelDaily Devotional for June 25, 2026But I want you to know, brethren, that...
06/25/2026

Experiencing God Day-by-Day
Furthering the Gospel
Daily Devotional for June 25, 2026

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. Philippians 1:12

There are two ways to look at every situation: How it will affect you, and how it will affect God’s kingdom. The apostle Paul was always concerned with how his circumstances might aid the spreading of the Gospel. When he was unjustly imprisoned, he immediately looked to see how his imprisonment might provide God’s salvation to others (Phil. 1:13; Acts 16:19-34). When he was assailed by an angry mob, he used the opportunity to preach the Gospel (Acts 22:1-21). When Paul’s criminal proceedings took him before the king, his thoughts were on sharing his faith with the king! (Acts 26:1-32). Even when Paul was shipwrecked on an island, he used that opportunity to share the gospel there. Regardless of his circumstance, Paul’s concern was how he could use his current situation to tell others of God’s good news of salvation.

Often when we encounter a new situation, our first thoughts are not about God’s kingdom. When we face a crisis, we can become angry or fearful for our own well-being, rather than looking to see what God intends to do through our circumstances. If we remain self-centered we will miss so much of what God could do through our experiences, both for us and for those around us.

Ask God to make you aware of how He could use your present circumstances to bless others. Perhaps someone around you needs to see the difference Christ’s presence makes in your life. Are you willing for God to use your circumstances to demonstrate His saving power to those around you? - Henry Blackaby

www.blackaby.org

My Utmost for His HighestReceiving Yourself in the Fires of SorrowJune 25, 2026 Daily Devotional…what shall I say? "Fath...
06/25/2026

My Utmost for His Highest
Receiving Yourself in the Fires of Sorrow
June 25, 2026 Daily Devotional

…what shall I say? "Father, save Me from this hour"? But for this purpose I came to this hour. "Father, glorify Your name." —John 12:27-28

As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask that God protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be, in spite of all my fires of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself, accepting His position and realizing His purpose, in the midst of the fire of sorrow. He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.

We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.

Sorrow removes a great deal of a person’s shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, having no respect or time for you, only turning you away. If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people. - Oswald Chambers

www.utmost.org

06/24/2026

Today's Eternal Promise
June 24, 2026

“But as for you, Christ has poured out his Spirit on you. As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you. For his Spirit teaches you about everything, and what he teaches is true, not false. Obey the Spirit's teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ.” 1 John 2:27 (GNT)

Experiencing God Day-by-DayBe Merciful!Daily Devotional for June 24, 2026“Should you not also have had compassion on you...
06/24/2026

Experiencing God Day-by-Day
Be Merciful!
Daily Devotional for June 24, 2026

“Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” Matthew 18:33

Mercy is a gift. It is undeserved. Punishment and consequences are sin’s just reward, but the merciful person does not demand justice for the guilty person. If it were not for God’s mercy, we all would have faced His terrible judgment long ago. If not for His mercy, He would have condemned us after our first offense. If not for His mercy, He would punish us each time we sin. But rather than letting us bear the full punishment for our sin, God demonstrated His mercy when He paid the penalty for our sin Himself.

Do you find it hard to show mercy? It may be that you do not comprehend the mercy that God has shown to you. Jesus commanded His disciples to extend the same mercy to others that they had received from God. When they considered the incredible, undeserved mercy they had been granted, how could they refuse to extend the same unconditional mercy to others?

Could anyone sin against us to the same degree that we have sinned against God? Could any offense committed against us be as undeserved as the abuse hurled against the sinless Son of God? How quickly we forget the mercy that God graciously bestowed on us, only to focus on the injustices we endure from others! If you find it difficult to forgive others, you may need to meditate on the mercy of God that prevents you from experiencing God’s justifiable wrath. Scripture describes God as “Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in loving-kindness” (Neh. 9:17b). - Henry Blackaby

www.blackaby.org

My Utmost for His HighestReconciling Yourself to the Fact of SinJune 24, 2026 Daily DevotionalThis is your hour, and the...
06/24/2026

My Utmost for His Highest
Reconciling Yourself to the Fact of Sin
June 24, 2026 Daily Devotional

This is your hour, and the power of darkness. —Luke 22:53

Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, “Yes, I see what this sin would mean.” The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship— it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.

Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin. - Oswald Chambers

www.utmost.org

06/23/2026

Today's Eternal Promise
June 23, 2026 (The Promise FM Anniversary)

“Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name!” Psalm 97:11-12 (NLT)

Experiencing God Day-by-DayKingdom GreatnessDaily Devotional for June 23, 2026“For who is greater, he who sits at the ta...
06/23/2026

Experiencing God Day-by-Day
Kingdom Greatness
Daily Devotional for June 23, 2026

“For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.” Luke 22:27

The measure of greatness in the kingdom of God differs vastly from that of the world. Our society idolizes the rich, the powerful, the beautiful, and the athletic. We even make celebrities out of those who brazenly flaunt their immorality. The world claims it is demeaning to serve others. However, God’s kingdom completely rejects the world’s measure for esteem, giving the greatest honor to the one who serves most. The person who serves selflessly, lovingly, without complaint, and without seeking recognition is highly regarded in the kingdom of God.

When Jesus and His disciples entered the upper room, the disciples looked for a prominent place to sit; Jesus looked for a place to serve. As they awkwardly waited to be served, Jesus took a towel and basin and washed their feet (John 13:1-15). We Christians like to refer to ourselves as servants, but we are seldom content to be treated as servants! We are tempted to adopt the world’s evaluation of importance. But when we look to Jesus as our model, we see that it takes a far more noble character to serve than to be served.

The world will estimate your importance by the number of people serving you. God is more concerned with the number of people you are serving. If you struggle to be a servant, your heart may have shifted away from the heart of God. Ask Jesus to teach you selflessness and to give you the strength to follow His example. Watch for Jesus’ invitation to join Him in serving others. It will come. - Henry Blackaby

www.blackaby.org

My Utmost for His Highest“Acquainted With Grief”June 23, 2026 Daily DevotionalHe is…a Man of sorrows and acquainted with...
06/23/2026

My Utmost for His Highest
“Acquainted With Grief”
June 23, 2026 Daily Devotional

He is…a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. —Isaiah 53:3

We are not “acquainted with grief” in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin— and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.

We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine— that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life. - Oswald Chambers

www.utmost.org

06/22/2026

Today's Eternal Promise
June 22, 2026

“But don’t forget this, dear friends, that a day or a thousand years from now is like tomorrow to the Lord. He isn’t really being slow about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent.” 2 Peter 3:8-9 (TLB)

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Visalia, CA
93291

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