Digging Deeper: No One Will Ever Love You Like This

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on May 29, 2026

 

The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 

 

Exodus 14:23-30 (ESV)


NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU LIKE THIS

 

By the end of Exodus 14, Israel stood safely on the other side of the sea while their enemies were defeated behind them. God’s rescue was complete. His people were fully protected by His power and care. This chapter reveals why God calls us to have no other gods before Him. It is not because He wants control for selfish reasons. It is because nothing else can truly love, protect, sustain, or save us the way He can. So many things compete for our hearts. We are tempted to seek worth in relationships, appearance, accomplishments, attention, money, or the approval of others. But eventually, every false god disappoints us. People change. Circumstances shift. Feelings fade. Earthly things cannot carry the weight of our deepest needs, but God remains faithful. Exodus 14 shows us a God who sees His people terrified and trapped, and instead of abandoning them, He moves toward them with protection, patience, and deliverance. That same God still cares for us today. He sees every hidden hurt and every silent longing. He knows exactly what you need before you even ask. When we truly understand how deeply God cares for us, the blind idols we may have never realized existed, begin to lose their hold on our hearts. We stop searching for ultimate security in temporary things because we realize we already belong to the One who faithfully carries us through every storm.

Prayer:
I pray as you close out your work week that you are reminded that you have a Father that loves you so much. Lord, forgive us when we seek security and worth in things other than You. Help us remember that nothing can care for us the way You do. Just as You delivered Israel through the Red Sea, remind us daily that Your love, protection, and presence are more than enough for our lives.

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: He Makes a Way Through Impossible Spaces

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on May 28, 2026

 

The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 

 

Exodus 14:15-22 (ESV)


HE MAKES A WAY THROUGH IMPOSSIBLE SPACES

 

Israel stood trapped between the sea and an approaching army. From a human perspective, there was no way forward. Yet God created a path where none existed.

There are moments in life when we feel emotionally trapped too. We may feel stuck in grief, anxiety, disappointment, heartbreak, or uncertainty. Sometimes we pray and still cannot see how things could possibly improve. In those moments, the world offers many false saviors — success, relationships, entertainment, or distractions that temporarily numb the pain. But none of those things can truly rescue the soul.

The parting of the Red Sea was not only about escape; it was about showing Israel that no other god could care for them the way the Lord could. No idol could hold back the waters. No earthly comfort could protect them from Pharaoh. Only God could make a road through the impossible.

Sometimes God allows us to stand in impossible places so we can experience His faithfulness more deeply than we ever have before. Often, it is in our weakest moments that we finally realize how completely we need Him. Those moments become the very testimonies our children, families, and neighbors remember most — not our perfection, but God’s faithfulness.

When we trust Him fully, our lives quietly teach that God alone is enough. And the beautiful thing is that He never fails to make a way.

Prayer:
God, when we feel trapped by fear, pain, or uncertainty, remind us that You are the God who makes a way through impossible situations. Forgive us for turning to temporary comforts instead of trusting Your love and power. Open our eyes to the ways You are already working in our lives, even when we cannot yet see the outcome.

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: He Never Said to Carry it Alone

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on May 27, 2026

 

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

 

Exodus 14:13-14 (ESV)


HE NEVER SAID TO CARRY IT ALONE

 

Moses told the people, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Those words can feel difficult for someone who is used to carrying heavy emotional loads. I think sometimes we feel responsible for holding everything together — fixing problems, managing emotions, helping others, and keeping life moving forward.

Without realizing it, self-reliance can become a false god. We begin believing that if we just work harder, think harder, or try harder, we can hold our lives together on our own. But God never asked us to save ourselves.

The Israelites were trapped between the sea and Pharaoh’s army. There was nothing they could do to rescue themselves. God allowed them to reach the end of their own strength so they could finally see His power clearly.

There is something deeply comforting about knowing God fights for His children. While we lie awake overthinking situations, replaying conversations, or carrying emotional pain, God is already at work. He sees the battles no one else knows about. He understands the silent struggles hidden behind smiles.

Because God fights for us, we do not need to struggle to control everything, chase perfection, or be completely self-sufficient. We can rest in the arms of a faithful Father who is strong enough to carry what we cannot.

Prayer:
God, I am certain that we are all tired of trying to carry burdens You never intended for us to hold alone. Forgive us when we rely on our own strength instead of trusting You. Teach us to be still and remember that You are fighting for us. Help us rest in Your care and believe that You are enough for every battle we will ever face.

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: Don’t Let Fear Make You Forget His Faithfulness

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on May 26, 2026

 

When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

 

Exodus 14:10-12 (ESV)


DON’T LET FEAR MAKE YOU FORGET HIS FAITHFULNESS

 

When the Israelites saw Pharaoh approaching, fear overwhelmed them. In their panic, they forgot everything God had already done for them. Fear has a way of making us lose sight of God’s faithfulness.

Fear can quietly take over our hearts. We fear rejection, failure, abandonment, insecurity, uncertainty, and loss. Sometimes we fear not being enough. And when fear grows louder than faith, we begin turning to other things for comfort — constant busyness, perfectionism, distractions, or the opinions of others.

The Israelites forgot that the same God who delivered them from slavery was still standing with them at the edge of the sea. How often do we do the same? God has carried us through painful seasons before, yet when new difficulties arise, we question whether He can take care of us again.

What is beautiful about this passage is that God did not walk away from His fearful people. He remained faithful even while they doubted Him. That same grace is available to us today. Even when our emotions are messy and our faith feels weak, God stays near. Our faith may feel like a struggle sometimes, but His love never is.

Prayer:
I pray, as you walk through your day, that God would calm every fear in your heart and remind you of His goodness. Lord, forgive us when we unintentionally place our trust in temporary comforts instead of in You. Help us remember Your faithfulness in every season of life. Just as You stayed with Israel in their fear, stay close to us and remind us that Your love is steady and unchanging.

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: Uncomfortable Places

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on May 25, 2026

 

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

 

Exodus 14:1-4 (ESV)


UNCOMFORTABLE PLACES

 

There are seasons in life when it feels like God has led us straight into uncertainty. We pray for direction, ask Him to guide our steps, and then suddenly find ourselves standing in situations that feel overwhelming — heartbreak, loneliness, disappointment, anxiety about the future, or exhaustion from carrying invisible emotional burdens. The Israelites must have wondered why God led them to the edge of the sea with danger closing in behind them.

Because we are human, we often search for security in things other than God. Sometimes we cling to relationships, achievements, appearance, success, or the approval of others to make us feel safe or valued. Sometimes we try to control every outcome so we can avoid the pain of disappointment. But Exodus 14 reminds us that God allowed His people to stand in a place where only He could rescue them. He wanted them to see that He was enough.

The truth is, God already knew what was ahead for Israel. Pharaoh’s army did not surprise Him. In the same way, your struggles, fears, and disappointments have not escaped His notice. He sees every tear, every silent prayer, and every ache you carry. I think sometimes God leads us into uncomfortable places so we can learn that He is more dependable than anything else we lean on. He does not abandon you in hard places — He reveals Himself there.

In this world, we will constantly be reminded of how little control we truly have, but that is not meant to drive us into fear. It is meant to drive us closer to the One who lovingly leads us. The God who guided Israel with purpose is still guiding you today.

Prayer:
I pray, as you start your week, that you remember to trust God for your security and safety. When you feel overwhelmed or uncertain, remember that He is already aware of every detail of your life. Just as He carefully led Israel in Exodus 14, let’s pray that He would lead us with His wisdom and love. Lord, help us trust that You are always enough.

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: Surrender to Your Purpose

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on March 6, 2026

 

  And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

 

Luke 5:10-11 (NLT)


SURRENDER TO YOUR PURPOSE

 

As soon as they saw what God could do, they left everything, EVERYTHING, and followed Jesus.

Think about all the moments in your life where God has shown up, where He has shown out on your behalf. Think about answered prayers, the loud ones and the soft ones. In all of the times God has brought you through, have you ever once thought about walking away from everything you know, everything you own, and relentlessly pursuing Him?

That is what Simon does here. He was frustrated and disappointed in his current situation. Jesus shows up in the flesh. He tells him to try again, but this time to go further out, to push himself. Simon hesitates and reminds Him that this has not worked in the past, but then follows through with what he is asked to do. And because of his faith and his trust, he is blessed abundantly. His partners witness his blessing. Because of his faith, others follow Jesus. Because God showed up and showed out, Simon drops everything he is doing and goes to fish for men. He goes to spread the gospel to everyone who would listen.

Heart:
Where are you in this? As we recap this story, can you relate to Simon? When you think about your blessings, your prayers, your bold God moments, have you ever shared those with anyone? Have you ever shared pieces of your story, your testimony, with someone else? Imagine what a movement there would be if we were all open and willing to share what God has done in our lives with others.

Soul:
Do you fear the unknown, the uncharted territory you feel like God may be calling you to? Are you fearful of the uncertainty of change, of surrendering what you thought your plan was and chasing after what your purpose truly is?

You are not alone. Surrender is intense, but it is also freeing. The most vivid picture I have in my mind is Abraham in Genesis 22. In this story, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. Abraham does as he is told. In his final act of surrender, he ties him with a rope and lays him on the altar. An angel of the Lord appears and tells him not to lay a hand on Isaac, and a ram appears in the bushes to take Isaac’s place on the altar.

What does your surrender look like today? What is God pressing on your heart to do, to fully surrender to all that He has for you?

Strength:
I think we have all had those moments, the ones where God has done something amazing, something bold in our lives, and it makes us feel on fire. It makes us want to shout from the rooftops how amazing He is. I think that is how Simon felt that day.

What has changed in us that our daily surrender looks different? That our shouts can become a whisper. That our faithful steps can become a tiptoe. Did we forget where we were and what He brought us out of?

Simon Peter left EVERYTHING and followed Him when he saw what God had done. He completely surrendered. Where is your heart today? When you look back at all that God has brought you through, where did your passion go? Where is your surrender now? What are the full nets God has walked with you through and blessed you with? How can you share that part of your story, your testimony?

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: Surrender Your Guilt, Seek Forgiveness

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on March 5, 2026

 

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me- I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.  

 

Luke 5:8-9 (NLT)


SURRENDER YOUR GUILT, SEEK FORGIVENESS

 

I have physically fallen to my knees over some very tough situations. I have begged and bartered with God on multiple occasions. I have seen blessings come out of dark situations, and I have felt ashamed of my lack of faith, the same way I imagine Simon did. I have let anxiety and the need to control take over and have needed to be reminded that God is in control.

Simon Peter was ashamed that he doubted, that he hesitated, that he reminded Jesus that what he had been trying was not working. Yet his trust in God to try one more time, his obedience, showed his partners and other witnesses what a miracle God can do, what faith can do.

Heart:
I can imagine Simon’s face, his jaw dropped, the weight of guilt too heavy to hold. Falling before Jesus, ashamed and full of regret. Have you been there before, ashamed of your lack of faith in a situation? Immediately asking forgiveness for your doubts? Where is God pressing on your heart today? Where do you need to surrender your guilt and pick your faith back up?

Soul:
When you look at these passages, what do you connect with? For me, it is the relevance of how Simon felt. It is knowing that I am not alone in feeling less than when I struggle to trust. It is knowing that Simon was literally face to face with Jesus and still hesitated. I think it is safe to say that we have all had doubts. How can this story help you trust God more?

Strength:
Simon was awestruck by the blessings God gave him, not in spite of his doubt, but because of his faith. Is there something you feel led to do or chase after that you may have doubted before, but today you feel fully invested and ready to walk into? When you think about Simon Peter’s reaction, where have you seen a moment like this in your own life? How can you use the strength you had in that moment to push you forward into the next step of obedience?

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: Surrender Your Story

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on March 4, 2026

 

“Master,” Simon replied, “We worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again. And this time their nets were so full of fish that they began to tear. A shout for help brought their partners in the boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 

 

Luke 5:5-7 (NLT)


SURRENDER YOUR STORY

 

So blessed they almost sank. That is what happened when Simon listened to what Jesus was asking him to do. But before the blessing, Simon tells Jesus, and reminds Him, that the night before they had done the same thing. They worked hard and saw no result. They chased after what they were supposed to do and caught nothing, gained nothing.

Can you imagine standing before Jesus and saying, I hear what You are telling me to do, but have You forgotten that this has not worked? I have tried this. Were You not with me through that last journey? It did not work. I thought You knew that.

Here, Simon admits doubt, but then does exactly what Jesus asks of him. The blessing and life change on the other side of his yes to Jesus were enough to propel him toward chasing his purpose.

Heart:
What times in your life, in your story, have you felt the need to remind God that something did not work out the way you thought it would? In what chapter of your life have you struggled with doubt? In those same stories, how did God change your circumstances for good? How did God right those wrongs? How did you come out on the other side of that situation more blessed than when you went into it?

Soul:
Think about a time in your life when you felt the most blessed, the most loved, the most cared for by God. What led you to that moment? Was there a vivid picture, a moment like a boat overflowing with fish? What was your full boat? How has God used that moment as a testimony, as a moment of truth to show others, and you, who He really is and how much He loves you?

Think about the looks on the faces of the partners who showed up, who had watched Simon fish the night before and catch nothing, walking away empty-handed. Then imagine the looks on their faces, and their belief in God, after seeing what Jesus did for him. What a story, a testimony to Simon’s faith.

Strength:
The kind of faith Simon shows here is faithful obedience, choosing to try again when God says to, even if it has not worked out in your favor before. How close have you been to an answered prayer but fell short because you were weary? What step of obedience is God laying on your heart today? What is one thing you have been struggling with that you could get in the boat for today? I pray that you would take hold of that and make active steps toward it.

Let your faith, your steps into the boat, be visual stories that tell of God’s faithfulness.

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: Surrender Your Timeline

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on March 3, 2026

 

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

 

Luke 5:4 (NLT)


SURRENDER YOUR TIMELINE

 

How many times in your life have you prayed fervently for something and felt like God delayed His answer or was not listening?

If you could see me right now, you would know that I have both hands raised for this one. There have been deep wounds in my life where, in the moment, I felt like God was taking forever to answer me. Eventually, I realized the answers came, just on His timeline and not mine.

In today’s Scripture, God literally tells Simon to try again, to go further out, to go to a new location. A place where he will find a massive blessing.

How does this relate to today? I imagine God telling us, go where I have called you. Chase after the purpose I have placed in your heart, and there you will find an abundance of blessings. Can you imagine Jesus sitting before you in a boat and saying, go further out. Keep trying. Do not stop. You are so insanely close to the blessings I have for you, you just cannot see them at the surface level right now.

Simon Peter had no idea what waited for him in the sea, and neither do you or I. How many times have we been immensely close to the answer to a prayer, and then we stop praying, we stop believing, we stop looking, listening, and seeking, and then we miss the boat. We miss the blessing.

What does God reveal about your heart in this passage?
Do you feel triggered with doubt? Are there times when you boldly hear God telling you to do something, but because it does not make sense, or because you doubt that it is really His voice, you do not pursue it?

How does this Scripture reveal more of God’s character to you?

I imagine God sitting in the boat, the sea calm, calling me to do something, to make a move, to keep pressing on. Almost like He is waving you out there with Him, asking you to keep pushing further. And the minute you do, you feel at peace. You release the doubt you have been holding inside, and you see His character. Where He saw you struggling, He wanted to take care of you, to remove a burden from you. All you had to do was take the next step, and He was there, watching you, wading the waters with you the whole time. You just could not see it from where you were.

When you think about what you must leave behind to take the next step forward toward your purpose, what scares you the most?
Is it releasing the timeline of events or accomplishments you thought you needed to attain? Is it walking away from the comfort you have now?

God does not call us to be comfortable. He calls us to be obedient. So by not taking that next step you are so desperately nervous to take, you are, in fact, being disobedient. You are not trusting Him or having faith that He will work it out.

I challenge you today, as you close out this devotion, to think about what your next step is. What is the very next thing you can do to chase after where God wants you to be? If you do not know what that is, that is the perfect place to start. Pray specific prayers over what God wants to do in your life. What impact can He make with your story?

Maybe your first step is admitting your doubts and your fears. And maybe your next prayer is, here I am, Lord. Send me. I surrender my control and my timeline, and I will faithfully chase after Yours.

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: Surrender Your Plan

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on March 2, 2026

 

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.  He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fisherman had left them and were washing their nets.  Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water.  So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 

Luke 5:1-3 (NLT)


SURRENDER YOUR PLAN

 

There, Jesus sat in the middle of His purpose, His plan for Simon.

Surrendering is releasing the control you think you have and trusting God to handle everything.

When I get that uneasy feeling in my stomach, when I begin to feel discontent, when I am not at peace, surrendering something is almost always what needs to follow next. No matter what it is that I am trying to control, I can tell that God wants me to release it.

The most vivid moment in my life where I struggled to surrender was in 2020. With the weight of the pandemic and everything that felt lost, I felt like God was calling me to step away from teaching for a bit. To walk away from a steady paycheck in the middle of a pandemic was definitely not something I wanted to sign up for. But the moment I realized the surrender was real, I resigned.

Because of that obedience, God opened some amazing doors, opportunities, and blessings I would have otherwise missed out on. Of all of those moments that I will never forget, I was given one that still rocks me to my core. God knew what chapter was coming in my story, and He prepared a way for me to be present in ways being a teacher would not. He gave me the time to be present and walk with my mom when her terminal cancer returned. In those months, He healed a lifetime of hurt, even while I was breaking inside. Because I had surrendered my plan, I was able to spend those final months with her.

When we read these Scriptures, I can imagine myself walking away from those boats like Simon did, feeling frustrated and defeated. Having worked and chased after something that I thought was where I was supposed to be. Then standing off to the side, rinsing away my frustration, cleaning up the mess of defeat and disappointment.

I think if we are all honest, we have each been here at one point in our lives. Feeling like we are out at sea, drifting and not knowing what is next, while trying to control our next move. This is where I feel like God is calling us to surrender.

In our hearts:
He is calling us to surrender our plan.
Where in your life do you have doubts, or where are you resistant to relinquishing control you do not have?
Where do you need to look back at your boat and let God step in?

In our souls:
How does this Scripture reveal Jesus’ character to you? When you think about what He saw, empty boats on the shore and defeated fishermen washing up, He decides to step in, literally, and continue to teach them.

With His strength:
Surrendering your plan requires leaving what you thought would happen behind. It is an insanely bold act of faith to walk away from what you thought life would be like and embrace what it can be. Because I promise you, His plan is so much greater than anything you could have dreamed up.

As you start your week, I challenge you to think about the empty boats you have brought back to shore. The times you have felt defeated, where your plan did not work out the way you thought it would. Reflect on how God has used those empty moments for a bigger purpose and a better plan.

I imagine when Jesus saw those fishermen, He felt empathy for them. He felt their frustration and pain, and I know He has felt the same for you. Let Him step into your boat and guide you back to the plan He has for you.

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.