“But the LORD God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” —Genesis 3:9

From the very beginning, God desired intimacy with humanity. Adam and Eve walked with Him in the garden without shame. But when they chose independence over intimacy, they found only shame and separation. Still, God came looking for them—not with anger, but with an invitation: “Where are you?”

Sin always promises freedom but delivers shame. Just like Adam and Eve, we sometimes try to hide our failures, mistakes, or fears. But God doesn’t ask us, “What have you done?”—He already knows. Instead, He asks, “Where are you?” because His heart is to invite us back into His presence.

This is grace: that even in our hiding, God shows up. And He doesn’t just show up for us—He calls us to show up for others. Someone in your life right now may be far from God, hiding in shame, fear, or brokenness. Just as Christ showed up for you, you can show up for them—with prayer, love, and the hope of the Gospel.

Through Jesus, the curse of sin was broken. On the cross, He crushed the serpent’s head and made a way for us to come home. That’s the invitation God gives—not condemnation, but restoration.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life are you choosing independence over intimacy with God?

2. How is God inviting you to come closer to Him today?

3. Who is the “one” person in your life God is asking you to show up for?

Prayer

Father, thank You that even in my sin and shame, You come looking for me. Thank You for the invitation to draw near instead of the condemnation I deserve. Help me choose intimacy with You over independence. And give me the courage to show up for the person You’ve placed on my heart—so they too can know the hope of Jesus. Amen.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Gideon didn’t see himself as a “mighty warrior.” He felt weak, unqualified, and afraid. Yet God called him to lead an army against the Midianites. Instead of strengthening Gideon’s army, God reduced it—from 32,000 men down to 300. Why? So the victory could only be credited to God’s strength, not human effort.

This story reminds us that God is patient in our panic. Gideon doubted, questioned, and feared—but God never gave up on him. Instead, God showed up in the middle of Gideon’s weakness and turned fear into faith.

The same is true for us. We often think we need more—more strength, more answers, more resources. But God sometimes strips us down so that His power can shine through our surrender. He doesn’t need our qualifications; He desires our availability.

Like Gideon, we may feel outnumbered by life’s challenges. Yet victory isn’t found in our strength but in God’s. He shows up in our weakness, and His presence is enough.

And just as God showed up for Gideon, He calls us to show up for the “one” in our lives who feels overwhelmed or defeated. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer isn’t answers, but presence. Being there in someone’s weakness is one way God’s strength is revealed.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life are you relying on your own strength instead of God’s?

2. How might God be asking you to release control so that He can display His power?

3. Who in your life feels outnumbered right now? How can you show up for them in faith and encouragement this week?

Prayer

Lord, thank You that Your power is made perfect in my weakness. Forgive me for the times I trust in my own strength instead of Yours. Teach me to surrender, to lean on Your presence, and to trust that You will fight my battles. Show me the “one” I can encourage this week, and help me show up for them as You have shown up for me. Amen.

“So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” – 2 Kings 5:14

Naaman was a powerful man with influence, wealth, and authority—but he also had leprosy. When the prophet Elisha told him to wash in the Jordan River to be healed, Naaman’s pride nearly cost him his miracle. He expected something dramatic, something worthy of his status. Instead, God gave him a simple, humbling command: wash and be clean.

Pride almost prevented Naaman from experiencing God’s provision. But thanks to the encouragement of his servants, he obeyed—and his healing was not only physical, but spiritual. He came to know the one true God.

How often do we miss what God wants to do in our lives because His instructions seem “too simple,” “beneath us,” or not how we imagined? Obedience, even in small or humble steps, opens the door for God to move.

Sometimes God asks us to take a step that doesn’t make sense, and other times He calls us to be the encourager for someone else—helping them move toward Jesus when pride, doubt, or fear hold them back. Just as Naaman needed his servants to nudge him forward, your “one” may need you to lovingly point them toward the step of faith that will change everything.

Reflection Questions

1. Where might pride be keeping you from obeying God’s instructions?

2. Is there a step of obedience in your life that feels “too small” or “too hard” right now?

3. Who in your life needs encouragement to take their next step toward Jesus?

Prayer

Lord, forgive me when my pride keeps me from obeying You. Teach me to trust Your ways, even when they seem simple or humbling. Help me to encourage others, just as Naaman’s servants did, so they too can experience Your healing and grace. Give me the courage to obey and the compassion to speak life into those You’ve placed in my path. Amen.

“Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.” — John 1:45–46

One of the simplest yet most powerful invitations in the Bible is Philip’s response to Nathanael’s skepticism: “Come and see.” Philip didn’t debate, argue, or try to explain everything about Jesus. He simply extended an invitation to experience Him.

That same invitation echoes to us today. Jesus sees us, knows us, and loves us—even before we recognize Him. Just as He sought out Philip and knew Nathanael’s heart, He has already extended His invitation to us, and to the people in our lives who don’t yet know Him.

The truth is, discipleship always begins with Jesus’ invitation. But often, God uses us to echo that invitation to others. Like Philip, we don’t have to have all the answers. We simply need to say, “Come and see.”

Reflection

• Remember: Jesus showed up for you first. He knew you, loved you, and invited you long before you responded.

• Pray: Who is your one—the friend, family member, or coworker who needs Jesus? Pray that God will soften their heart.

• Invite: Don’t wait until you have the perfect words. Extend a simple invitation—to church, to a meal, to a conversation about faith. Leave the heart work to Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for showing up for me, even before I knew You. Give me courage to show up for others and to extend the simple but powerful invitation to “come and see.” Help me trust that You are already at work in their hearts. Use me as Your vessel, and may my life always point others back to You. Amen.

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” — Mark 2:5

The paralyzed man in Mark 2 would never have reached Jesus on his own. The crowd was too large, the obstacles too many. But his friends refused to give up. They tore through the roof to lower him down, believing that if they could just get him to Jesus, everything would change.

Jesus didn’t respond first to the man’s need—but to the friends’ faith. Their visible desperation opened the door for both physical and spiritual healing. This reminds us that sometimes, the faith of those around us helps carry us to Jesus when we can’t get there ourselves.

Your “one”—the person God has placed on your heart—may feel paralyzed by fear, doubt, sin, or shame. They may not be able to come to Jesus on their own. But your prayers, persistence, and love can help carry them closer to Him. Healing often begins with someone else’s faith.

Personal Application

• Be desperate for Jesus. Just like the friends who ripped open a roof, seek His presence with urgency—for yourself and for your one.

• Make your faith visible. Let your actions, prayers, and persistence reflect a deep belief that Jesus can heal and transform lives.

• Trust Jesus with the deeper need. The friends wanted healing for their friend’s body, but Jesus began with his soul. God sees the real need beneath the surface, and He knows how to meet it.

Prayer

Lord, make me desperate for Your presence. Give me the faith to believe that You can heal and transform not only my life but also the life of my one. Help me to carry them to You in prayer and in action. Show me how to be persistent, faithful, and bold, and remind me that You see and meet the deepest needs of every heart. Amen.

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” — Luke 24:32

Two disciples walked a dusty road, their hearts heavy with disappointment. They thought Jesus was gone forever, and hope with Him. But even in their grief, Jesus drew near. They didn’t recognize Him at first, yet He walked with them, listened to them, and reminded them of God’s promises.

Isn’t that just like Jesus? He doesn’t show up only for the powerful or well-known. He shows up for the forgotten, the nameless, the ones who feel unimportant. Cleopas and his friend weren’t part of the “inner circle,” yet Jesus chose them. He met them in their confusion, opened the Scriptures, and revealed Himself in the breaking of bread.

Reflection

• Have you ever felt unseen, overlooked, or unimportant? This story reminds us: status doesn’t matter to Jesus.

• Just as Jesus walked with Cleopas and his companion, He walks with us—even when we don’t recognize Him.

• And just as He reignited hope in their hearts, He calls us to walk alongside others who may feel forgotten, pointing them back to Him.

Takeaway

Jesus doesn’t need us to be influential, popular, or “qualified.” He simply asks us to show up—for Him, and for the “one” He has placed in our lives. Your faith, your listening ear, your prayers may be the very bridge God uses to open someone’s eyes to Him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for walking with me, even when I don’t see You. Help me to notice the “ones” around me who feel unseen or unworthy. Give me courage to show up for them, just as You showed up for me. Open my eyes to Your presence, and let my heart burn with love for You. Amen.