Apr 1, 2026 – Follow
Prevail #91 – 1 Chronicles 21:1 – “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.” Larson starts us off with something I’ve never really heard before about David, or I’ve never heard it said like this before. She points out how crafty our enemy is and that, “David was tempt-able because deep inside, he wanted to shift his weight off of dependence on God and onto his great accomplishments.” Certainly, I know that David was a flawed human, but the main thing we hear about him is that he had a heart for God and things always worked out for him, but I guess success can even go to the head of a “man after God’s own heart.” 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22.
Larson points out, “We live in a day when folks obsess over numbers, followers, likes, and shares. Yet Jesus never called us to get people to follow us. He called us to follow Him and to feed His sheep. He called us to count our blessings, not our followers…. It matters what we do, but even more so why we do it…. How much can He bless you before you make it about you?”
Max – John 20:18 – “Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’” Max writes, “Joy comes. Watch for it…. Keep coming to Jesus. Even though the trail is dark. Even though the sun seems to sleep. Even though everyone is silent, walk to Jesus. Mary Magdalene did this. No, she didn’t comprehend the promise of Jesus. She came looking for a dead Jesus, not a living one. But at least she came. And because she came to him, he came to her…. Even when you don’t feel like it, keep walking the trail to the empty tomb. Open your Bible. Meditate on Scripture. Sing hymns. Talk to other believers. Place yourself in a position to be found by Jesus, and listen carefully.”
Proverbs 3:6 – “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
JC – You yearn for a simplified lifestyle, so that your communication with Me can be uninterrupted. But I challenge you to relinquish that fantasy of an uncluttered world. Accept each day just as it comes, and find Me in the midst of it all…. Remember that your ultimate goal is not to control or fix everything around you; it is to keep communing with Me.”
Streams – Cowman helps us understand about following and staying fixed on God, “Sometimes, like Paul, you cannot see the sun or the stars to help you navigate when the storm is bearing down on you. This is when you can do only one thing, for there is only one way. Reason cannot help you, past experiences will shed no light, and even prayer will bring no consolation. Only one course remains: you must put your soul in one position [like a ship at sea in a fierce storm] and keep it there.” She adds Richard Fuller’s imagery to her message, “You must anchor yourself steadfastly upon the Lord.”
Power – Joyce offers, “Obeying and meditating on the Word of God is medicine for our souls. It brings not only instruction, but comfort in every situation.”
JA – “I DELIGHT IN BRIGHTENING your perspective…. I came to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison, and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness…. You live in an age of entitlement, so you need to counteract the messages proclaiming that you deserve more. One way is to jot down some things you’re thankful for each day. This changes your focus from things you wish you had to blessings you already have.”
Simpson writes, “Our Father is fitting us for eternity…. What are you getting fitted for? To be a slop-pail to hold all the stuff that people pour into your ears, or a vase to hold sweet fragrance and flowers for the King’s palace and a harp of many strings that sounds the melodies and harmonies of His love and praise. Each one of us is going to his own place. Let us get fitted now.”
