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Whose Strength Are You Standing In?

November 14, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com / 0 Comments

Wesley Mendes

We aren’t called to stand firm in our own strength. We’re called to stand firm by depending on God’s strength! But what does dependence actually look like? And in Whom are we really putting our strength? It’s a question we all need to ask ourselves. As followers of Jesus, are we truly depending on God, or on ourselves? I ask because if we rely fully on our own strength, there will come a point when we’re too tired to carry anything else. You can only hold something heavy for so long. You might be able to carry it for maybe a minute, maybe longer. But eventually, your strength runs out.

And sometimes that’s exactly what happens to us spiritually: we carry yesterday’s problems into today, and pick up tomorrow’s pressures before tomorrow ever gets here. We carry family issues, friendships, expectations, insecurities, disappointments, and the battles no one else knows we’re fighting. Before we realize it, we’re exhausted. But here’s something we need to understand: Jesus never asked you to carry everything. He asked you to bring everything to Him.

In 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV), we’re told: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Notice that Scripture doesn’t tell us to carry our anxiety until we’re strong enough to overcome it. It tells us to cast it on Him.

But what does that actually look like?

How do I lay my battles with depression at Jesus’ feet, when I’m the one who has to deal with them? How do I lay the battle of not feeling good enough at His feet when I wake up every morning feeling less than? How do I give God the constant arguments within my household, the problems with my job or school, or that feeling that nobody hears me and nobody cares?

How do I give something to God when I still have to go home to it?

When I still have to walk through it?

When my situation hasn’t changed?

Great questions, all…

Scripture tells us it’s here that our dependence on Jesus is tested. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” –Proverbs 3:5-6

It’s not pretending our problems don’t exist. It’s not ignoring the heaviness of what we’re going through. It’s not convincing ourselves that everything is okay when it isn’t; it’s us choosing to trust God in the middle of what we can’t figure out. It’s us asking ourselves:

Do I really trust God?

Do I trust His plan when I don’t understand it? Do I believe where I am is the end of my story, or do I believe God is still working? Because sometimes we look at what we’re going through and believe it’s how it will always be. Sure, we each have different struggles, different battles, and different hurdles. But just because something doesn’t feel good to us right now doesn’t mean it will last forever. God never promised we’d understand why we face certain things; only that we trust He does.

Some of us are fighting battles inside unhealthy households. Some are surrounded by bad influences, trying to stay away from old friends, old habits, or environments that keep pulling them backward. Some are struggling with their identity. Some feel like they’re never good enough. Others are dealing with financial hardship, wondering where their next meal is coming from. Others still feel like they’re missing out on life because they don’t have the same freedom or opportunities as everyone around them.

Different circumstances.

Different burdens.

Different obstacles. But the same question remains: Do you trust God? Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

I love how this Scripture is written. It doesn’t say our flesh and hearts will never fail. It says they may fail. There will be moments when you’re weak. There will be moments when you’re tired, discouraged, overwhelmed, and unsure of what to do next; weakness doesn’t mean you’ve lost your faith.

Sometimes our weakness is exactly what teaches us who we’ve placed our faith in.

Look at Isaiah 40:29–31 (NLT): “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Even young people get tired. Even people with energy, ambition, and determination eventually become exhausted. God knows that. That’s why He doesn’t tell us to manufacture our own strength. He invites us to depend on his!

Your strength runs out. Jesus’ doesn’t.

Your strength has a limit. Jesus’ doesn’t.

God doesn’t become weary.

God doesn’t get exhausted. God doesn’t reach a point where He has nothing left to give. The difference between us depending on ourselves and depending on Jesus is this: His strength and ability never run out.

Think about Elijah in 1 Kings 18–19. Elijah experienced one of the greatest victories of his ministry. He stood against 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, and God answered by sending fire from heaven. But shortly afterward, Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. The same Elijah who had just witnessed an incredible victory became afraid, ran into the wilderness, and reached a point where he prayed, “I have had enough, Lord.” Think about that. Elijah had just experienced God’s power, yet he still found himself overwhelmed. And what did God do? God didn’t abandon him. He sent an angel to provide food, water, and rest. Eventually, God met Elijah in a gentle whisper and reminded him that he wasn’t alone.

There’s something powerful in that story. You can experience incredible victories with God and still have moments when you’re exhausted. You can love Jesus with all of your heart and still have difficult days. You can have faith and still feel overwhelmed. Your exhaustion doesn’t disqualify you from God’s presence. God met Elijah right where he was, and He can meet you there, too.

Look at Daniel:

Daniel was taken from his God-honoring homeland and brought to Babylon. Babylon worshipped many gods and lived very differently from Daniel. Daniel was surrounded by people who didn’t share his faith or convictions. Instead, they tried to shape Daniel’s identity, influence his decisions, and change the way he lived. But Daniel 1 tells us that Daniel resolved not to compromise himself. He’d determined who he belonged to, regardless of what was happening around him; that’s something we can learn from today. You might be the only Christian in your workplace. You can be surrounded by a culture that doesn’t honor Jesus and still belong completely to Him. You might be the only one in your friend group who wants to know Jesus. You might go home to a family that doesn’t believe what you believe. Like Daniel, you don’t need everyone around you to follow God for you to follow Him.

Then there’s Paul.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul asked God to remove something he described as a thorn in his flesh. Yet instead of removing it, God answered him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul eventually understood something that changed his perspective: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Why? Because his weakness forced him to depend on God’s strength, not his own.

Think about those moments when you’re completely spent. When you’ve exhausted every solution you thought would work. When you’ve tried to figure it out, fix it, fight through it, but nothing changes. When you’re defeated, when your own strength has run out, and all you have left is God.

That’s the powerful Truth Paul discovered: His weakness wasn’t the end of his strength. It became the place where he learned to depend fully on God’s strength, not his own. Sometimes God lets us reach the end of our strength so we’ll discover He never asked us to carry anything in our own strength. You might wonder how you’re supposed to keep standing firm when everything around you is pulling you in another direction. Joshua 1:9 reminds us that the Lord our God will be with us wherever we go. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Wherever you go…

At school, He’s there. At home, He’s there. At work, He’s there. When you’re sitting alone with your thoughts, He’s there. When you’re scrolling through your phone, He’s there. At your friend’s house, He’s there. In your bedroom, He’s there. In your tears, He’s there. In your failures, He’s there. In your victories, He’s there.

You are never walking into an environment where God is not already there…

Think about everything you just read: Elijah became exhausted, and God restored him. Daniel was surrounded by compromise, but God gave him the conviction to remain faithful. Paul experienced weakness, but God’s power was revealed through him.

Three different people.

Three different circumstances.

One common lesson: they each needed God.

And so do you.

Sadly, some of us have become so accustomed to carrying burdens that we’ve become good at hiding how heavy they are. We smile when we’re hurting. We tell people we’re okay when we’re struggling. We keep moving because we think stopping means we’ll fall apart. But here’s the problem: when your hands, heart, and mind are full, there’s little room left to focus on what God wants to do in and through you. When you’re consumed by everything you’re holding onto, it’s harder to be present, harder to love people, harder to hear God’s voice, and harder to keep your eyes fixed on Him.

That’s why Hebrews 12:1–2 (NLT) matters. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Notice this Scripture talks about weights that slow us down; weights we were never meant to carry. Some things need to be surrendered and addressed. Some things require difficult conversations, healthy boundaries, prayer, and us asking for help. But none of those things require us to face them without God. Here’s something else we should remember: just because we surrender something to God doesn’t mean the situation instantly disappears.

You still have to go home to that difficult household or face those people at school. You might still have to work through those emotions. But something changes when you stop believing you’re responsible for carrying that weight alone and begin facing those situations with a renewed Source of strength.

Instead of you saying, “I’ve got this,” you begin saying, “Jesus, I trust You.”

Instead of saying, “I have to figure everything out,” you begin saying, “God, show me the next step.” Instead of letting your circumstances determine your faith, you let your faith determine how you approach your circumstances. And don’t miss this one more thing: As we learn to depend on God, it should also change how we treat the people around us, remembering we’re not the only ones carrying things. Our brother might be struggling. Our sister might be hurting. Someone sitting next to us might be fighting a battle we know nothing about.

Sometimes the greatest thing we can do for someone isn’t to tell them how to fix their situation; maybe it’s to remind them where their help comes from.

So yes, we should encourage one another, pray for one another, listen, support, and walk alongside each other. But we’re never to forget we are no man’s Savior. We’re not called to become the source of anyone else’s strength. We’ve been called to point the one who is struggling toward the One who can save them, Jesus. We must help our brothers and sisters bring their burdens to Jesus. Because the same God who carries us is the God who can carry them, that’s what a community of believers ought to look like. Not people pretending they have everything together, but people who know where to go when they don’t. Sometimes desperation and defeat can become a divine invitation. An invitation to stop depending on yourself, to stop trying to control everything, and to stop pretending you’re strong enough to handle every battle. It’s an invitation to trust the One whose strength never runs out. So don’t be ashamed to admit that you’re tired, you’re struggling, and that you don’t have everything figured out. You don’t become strong by pretending you’re never weak. You become strong by knowing exactly Who to run to when you are. Knowing the One your help comes from, where your strength is found.

This brings us to the most important part of this teaching.

Maybe you’ve spent your entire life trying to do everything in your own strength. Maybe you’ve been carrying things that have become too heavy for you. You’ve been trying to find peace in people, relationships, friendships, acceptance, or things that never seem to satisfy you. And maybe you’ve heard about Jesus, but you’ve never actually invited Him into your life; you may have been to church, heard the messages, read the Scriptures, but you’ve never surrendered your heart to Jesus. Know this: Jesus isn’t asking you to get your whole life together before you come to Him. He’s inviting you to come as messy as you are. You don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to be perfect. You have to be willing to surrender.

Dependence begins when you stop trying to be your own source of strength and recognize your need for Jesus. He died on the cross for your sins; He took the weight you could never carry, and He rose again so you could have new life through Him. So today, you can choose to stop trying to do life without Him. You can invite Jesus into your heart, surrender your life to Him, and begin a relationship with the One who will never leave you or forsake you.

No, your circumstances might not change overnight. Your battles might not disappear tomorrow. But you won’t have to face another day without Jesus. When you’re weak, He’ll be your strength. When you’re afraid, Jesus will give you courage. When you feel alone, He’ll remind you that He’s with you. When you don’t understand what’s happening in your life, He’ll help you trust in His plan. I don’t want you to know about Jesus; I want you to know Him, have a relationship with Him, and let your life reflect Him, even when life gets difficult. Let Jesus lead you, guide you, and teach you to walk with Him every single day. Give Him your past, your present, and your future. Stop relying on yourself to carry what only He can. Tell Jesus: “My life belongs to You, and mean it.” Invite Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Savior by praying this simple prayer, but don’t just repeat my words because they’re written here; make them your own. Talk to Jesus, honestly. He already knows your heart.

Father God, I come before You today recognizing that I need You. For so long, I’ve tried to carry things in my own strength. I’ve tried to figure everything out, fix everything, and fight battles that have become too heavy for me. But today, I don’t want to do life without You anymore. Jesus, I believe You died on the cross for my sins, that You took my place, and that You rose again. I believe You are the Son of God, and I invite You into my life. Forgive me for my sins. Wash me clean. Change my heart and make me new. Today, I surrender my life to You. I surrender my fears, my insecurities, my past, my disappointments, my struggles, and everything I’ve been carrying. Teach me what it means to depend on You. Amen.

Here’s what His Word promises you: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10

Watching. It’s What We Do. How About You?

November 7, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint. Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.“ –Habakkuk 2:1-3

After all these years of reading God’s Word, one of the many things I still find truly awe-inspiring is its seamlessness: the unbroken consistency from the first Word to its last. Proof positive, for me at least, that it is God-breathed—not that God needs to prove anything to me…

Earlier in the morning, I prayed, asking the Lord what He would have me share with you—my standard practice. After a while, I heard nothing, so I went about my day and waited. Later that day, I checked my social media and came across a graphic post with today’s verse. And there it was—the answer to my morning question. Today’s scripture verse arrested me. Logos made Rhema.

I put down my phone, opened my Bible to Habakkuk, and reread all three chapters.

For clarity’s sake, here are two very loose definitions of what Logos and Rhema mean:

As you read your Bible, God’s Holy Spirit quickens or highlights—makes stand out—God’s written Word, His Logos, causing it to become Rhema: a Word from God that applies to your life, circumstances, or something else God doesn’t want you to miss right now.

When God speaks to us through His Word —Logos made Rhema —we watch and wait for its outcome, as we ought to. Yet far too often we do it —watching and waiting with limited understanding of what, precisely, we’re watching and waiting for. As finite beings with finite understanding, it’s nearly impossible for us to wrap our heads around what our Infinite God shares with us; so we instinctively bring it down to a bite-sized understanding we can digest.

Habakkuk unknowingly did the same.

From his watchtower—his limited understanding—he was able to see only that God’s judgment was on its way in the form of Babylonian invaders; merciless people who reveled in violence and subjugation of the peoples they conquered, enslaving all who were caught in their nets. “I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands. They are notorious for their cruelty and do whatever they like. Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey. “On they come, all bent on violence.” –Habakkuk 1:6-9

What Habakkuk couldn’t see, the Apostle Paul would see some 627 years later, after his road-to-Damascus experience and his rereading of the Septuagint—the Greek Old Testament. Paul the Apostle said it like this: “For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].” –1 Corinthians 13:12

Led by the Holy Spirit, Paul used Scripture and hindsight to clearly detail the far-reaching plan God had put in place from eternity past to save His people—all of us —through the life, death, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. This God, whom Habakkuk knew to be pure and good, whom he trusted would not allow His people to be swallowed up by such evil captors, had a plan in place from eternity past that would not only save and deliver His chosen people from their Babylonian captors, but save us all from every captor. “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” –Hebrews 10:37

God made it plain to Habakkuk that the vision he had been given was for a time yet to come—one Habakkuk would never see, this side of eternity. Hear Jesus Words to His disciples concerning this Truth: “Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men [men who were upright and in right standing with God] yearned to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” –Matthew 13:17

God made it crystal clear to yet another of His prophets that His ways and timing are not like ours—and I thank Him for that, lest you and I be able to fully understand the mind and ways of this unsearchable, unplumbed, All-Knowing God we call Abba, Father! “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” –Isaiah 55:8-9

We who serve Jesus too often have “cottage-sized” thoughts and “picket-fenced in” expectations. In contrast, Jesus has “palace plans” and spacious green-meadow intentions for our lives. Here’s what I mean: I’m not preaching worldly prosperity here; I’m not a proponent of the prosperity Gospel, so-called, though Jesus certainly can bless us with whatever He chooses, whenever He chooses to accomplish His purposes. I’m talking about Kingdom plans and visions—things not hindered by the limits of this world because they have been birthed and destined to succeed from time immemorial. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11

Paul the Apostle said it like this: “For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].” –1 Corinthians 13:12

The vision the Lord gave Habakkuk was of a person, not merely a time. Paul caught that as he read the Septuagint, understanding that where our Western Bibles use “it” in the following verses, the original Greek read “He.”

Read the following verses as Paul did. You’ll catch what he caught: how they speak of Jesus’ coming.

When you see what the Lord was telling Habakkuk—that His plans are so much greater than we can ever fully take in—you begin to watch and wait differently. Listen to how another of Jesus’ Apostles states this profound Truth: “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” –1 Peter 1:10–12

Beloved, if the Lord has given you a Word —Logos made Rhema, more Greek, I know —still, wait for it; watch for its sure coming to pass in God’s time—not yours. “When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” –Isaiah 60:22

Jesus did come. He was born of a woman. He died and rose again on the third day, fulfilling the Scriptures. His Word assures us He is coming again. Though He tarries, wait for Him—with expectancy. “Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit.” –Revelation 22:12.

Are you watching and waiting, friend? Jesus is coming. Are you ready to meet Him when He does? You can be, Jesus promises: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10

Wait With Assurance…

October 31, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com / 0 Comments

Elda Othello-Wrington

Time. It waits for no one, yet the wait can sometimes feel ‘weighty’ or ‘heavy.’

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reads, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” But the funny thing about time is that although it might seem that you are waiting for “the next thing,” next season, next prayer to be answered, next breakthrough to occur, next door to be open or shut, what time really does, I am finding, is test the heart.

There is a specific prayer I have been praying and believing for… for what feels like a decade, and yet no answer, no change, no transition. For me, at least, as time moves, the weight of waiting has become unbearable, and my heart seems to want to shift. I went from believing for the impossible, believing for change, believing for breakthrough, to wondering… will it ever happen?

Is it even God’s will? And if it does not happen, will my heart be okay with the “no”?

Questions like, “Should I stop praying?” flood my heart and my mind.

Friends, have you been there?

Here’s the thing about God’s timing… It’s perfect.

Even if you or I never get to see it on this side of heaven, God is still moving and working through the prayers we’ve prayed.

He is still in control…

Friends, if you are in that same place, let me remind you and encourage you: “Be confident of this, He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” – Philippians 1:6.

Here’s the thing about the wait: although heavy, it teaches us a lot about ourselves; it reveals the nature of our heart and its posture; it tests our character, and it eventually will lead us to understanding the sovereignty of God if and only if we are willing to get to that revelation.

That revelation can be found only by surrendering our will and control.

Up until now, you might be reading this and have never accepted Jesus into your heart. You have never surrendered control. Can I encourage you to do so today? The Bible says in Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” It is that simple, and only with the Lord can you find peace, hope, and strength to persevere in the waiting.

Isaiah 40:31 reminds us: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

That is the process of waiting on and with the Lord. At first, you fly in the beginning of the waiting season because you are on fire for God. Eventually, you learn to run in the waiting season because you know He is with you. And because you trust the Lord while you wait, you learn to walk without getting tired, because He assures you that He is with you to the very end. “And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” –Matthew 28:20

Waiting with God verses waiting on God can look and feel different depending on your heart posture. When we wait with God, we know that all things are possible. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” –Matthew 19:26. Waiting with God, we know there is a process: beginning, middle, and an end. That process is called perseverance. James 1:3-4 says: “Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” By waiting with God, we cultivate faith, appropriate what we know to be true, and trust God in the process.

My encouragement to you as you are waiting with the Lord, when it starts to feel that your waiting on God to move is far off and distant, is that you “Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” – Hebrews 12:1-2a. In doing this, the weight of waiting on God (because waiting can sometimes feel like God is distant and far away) is no longer heavy; instead, you learn to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” –Romans 12:12

Friends, to sum up what I’m saying: when your mind and heart are confident that in the waiting, God is with you, and you are inviting Him into your circumstances daily, hourly, to sit with you in the uncomfortable place of time, things will shift from you carrying the weight and trying to make sense of it all to you being completely free of the weight of waiting because you have the assurance Jesus is with you.

How do we trust God’s timing? Through unshakable faith. Hebrews 11:1 says: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” What I love about this chapter is that it records accounts of those who lived by faith but died, some never receiving or seeing the things promised. Still, they held on to hope. “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” —Hebrews 11:13

Friends, are you assured Jesus is enough?

I will end with this. I recently learned that Francis Jane Alstine, also known as Fanny Crosby, writer of the famous hymn “Blessed Assurance,” was blind from birth, yet she wrote beautiful lyrics that show strong faith.

My favorite lines from this one hymn are:

“Perfect salvation—all is at rest! I in my Savior am happy and blessed!

Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness—lost in His love!

This is my story! This is my song! Praising my Savior all the day long!”

My prayer for you as you read this is this: as you wait for Jesus’ response to your prayers, that you wait with the Lord. That you will “trust the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” –Proverbs 3:5. Get out of your feelings and stay in the Spirit. Then, just like Fanny, you too may find peace in the watching and waiting. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” –Psalm 27:14.

Friends, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.” –Lamentations 3:25.

At The Altar

October 24, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com / 0 Comments

Miguel Hernandes

Have you ever felt like you were carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?

Have you ever kept a secret that was slowly eating you alive?

Have you struggled with the same sin for so long that you began to wonder if you would ever overcome it?

Maybe you’re battling an addiction.

Maybe you’ve lost someone you love.

Maybe you’re struggling to forgive that one person who hurt you deeply. Or maybe you’re exhausted from fighting battles that nobody else knows about.

Whatever your battle may be, I want you to ask yourself one question:

How much longer will you carry something God never intended for you to carry alone?

Life can become overwhelming. Between responsibilities, relationships, temptations, and everyday struggles, we sometimes carry burdens that feel impossible to overcome. But what do we do?

We try to handle every situation on our own. We convince ourselves that we’re strong enough, that we can overcome our struggles through our own strength, and that eventually everything will fall into place. Thinking we have it under control. But what happens when our strength runs out? What happens when we find ourselves falling into the same sin over and over again?

What happens when we reach a point where we no longer know what to do?

That’s when we need to remember that God never called us to walk through this life alone. Before Jesus was crucified, He made a beautiful promise to His disciples. In John 14:16-17, Jesus tells them that He would ask the Father to send another Helper, the Spirit of truth, who would remain with them forever.

Think about that for a moment.

Jesus knew that His disciples would face persecution, temptation, fear, and many difficult battles. Yet He assured them that they would not be left alone. That Helper is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not simply a feeling we experience during worship or an emotional moment at church. He is the Spirit of God, here to help, guide, and strengthen us in our weaknesses. Second Timothy 1:7 reminds us: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Maybe you’ve been living in fear.

Maybe you’ve been allowing anxiety, temptation, or your past mistakes to control the way you live. But through the Holy Spirit, God equips His children with power, love, and self-control. The Holy Spirit gives us strength when we feel weak, wisdom when we don’t know which direction to take, and conviction when we begin walking down a path that leads us away from God. And as we continue growing in our relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit transforms our character. Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit as: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are not simply qualities we develop by trying harder. They are the Spirit of God at work in us, transforming the fruit of our lives.

One of my favorite examples of the Holy Spirit’s power is found in the book of Acts.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples an important promise. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” — Acts 1:8. Jesus promised them power through the Holy Spirit. In Acts chapter 2, we read about the Day of Pentecost. The disciples were gathered together when suddenly a sound came from heaven like a mighty rushing wind. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and started speaking in tongues.

Imagine being in that room!

Imagine experiencing that rush of wind!

These were regular people who experienced the same things we experience today. Things like fear, uncertainty, and weakness. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, had previously denied knowing Jesus three times. Under pressure, he sinned. Yet, after receiving the Holy Spirit, we see Peter standing boldly before a crowd, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:41 tells us that about three thousand people received his message and were baptized that day. The same Peter who once denied Jesus out of fear was now boldly proclaiming His name! That’s what happens when we stop relying solely on our own strength and begin depending on the power of God. The Holy Spirit didn’t make Peter perfect, and Peter didn’t have everything figured out.

Still, the Holy Spirit empowered Peter to become a bold witness for Christ.

And that same Holy Spirit can work in your life, too. Maybe this is the first time you’ve heard about the Holy Spirit. Maybe you’ve attended church your entire life, but you’ve never understood what it means to surrender your life to Jesus. Or maybe you’ve spent years running from God because you believe your past is too broken for Him to accept you. If so, I want you to understand something:

God looks beyond your sin, your past, your age, or the mistakes you’ve made and sees your life made righteous in Him; clean, new. You don’t have to clean yourself up before coming to Jesus; the Holy Spirit does that work. We all have fallen short; all have made mistakes, and all have struggled. You come to Jesus because you recognize that you need Him, just as you are.

In Acts 2:38, Peter tells the people: “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Notice that Peter calls the people to repentance.

Repentance is more than simply feeling guilty about something we’ve done. It’s recognizing our sin, turning away from it, and turning toward God with a sincere heart. Romans 10:9 also teaches us: “If we confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.” Salvation is not something we can earn through the number of good deeds we do. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us: “We are saved by grace through faith. It is God’s gift, not the result of our works; lest any man boast.”

Isn’t that such an incredible gift!

The Creator of heaven and earth loves us so deeply that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Because of the blood shed for you and me, we can receive forgiveness for our sins; we can receive the gift of salvation and a brand-new life with God Himself. If you haven’t surrendered your life to Christ, I highly encourage you to take that step right now. Turn to Jesus in faith and begin developing a fruitful relationship with him.

I want to bring you back to the questions I asked at the beginning.

What have you been carrying?

What sin have you been struggling to overcome?

Who have you been unable to forgive?

What is keeping you from fully surrendering your life to Christ? In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Notice what Jesus says. “Come to me.” He doesn’t say to come when you’ve figured everything out. He doesn’t say to come once you’ve overcome every addiction, repaired every relationship, or stopped struggling with sin. Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him. Maybe you’ve been trying to fight your battles alone for years. Maybe you’ve been holding on to bitterness, pride, anger, or guilt. Maybe you know who Jesus is, but you’ve never had a relationship with him.

Today, I want to encourage you to bring those things before Him.

In Romans 12:1, Paul urges believers to: “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

That is what surrender looks like.

Choosing to place our lives in God’s hands, even when we don’t have all the answers. It’s choosing obedience when our flesh desires something different. It’s waking up each morning and saying, “Lord, not my will, but Yours be done.” Surrendering your life to Christ doesn’t mean you’ll never face another battle. It means you no longer have to face those battles without Him.

There will still be difficult days.

There will still be temptations.

There may even be moments when you stumble.

But as we continue walking with Christ, the Holy Spirit works within us, correcting us, strengthening us, and shaping us to become more like Jesus. This helper that Jesus gives us stays with us forever. Philippians 1:6 reminds us: “He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.”

God is not finished working in you.

My prayer is that today will not be another page taken from your past, but the beginning of a new chapter. Today can be the day you finally forgive that person. Today can be the day you confess the sin you’ve been hiding. Today can be the day you stop running from God and start running toward him.

Or maybe today is the day you make the greatest decision of your life: surrendering your heart to Jesus Christ.

Whatever your situation may be, remember this: You don’t have to leave the altar carrying the same burdens you brought before God: your fears, your struggles. Bring God your brokenness. And most importantly, bring Jesus your heart.

Because the greatest transformation begins when we stop trying to control everything and allow Jesus to become Lord over every part of our lives.

The question is no longer whether God is willing to receive you.

The question is: Are you willing to surrender?

Today, I encourage you to come to Jesus. Not because your life is perfect. Not because you have all the answers. But because He is worthy of your surrender.

Come to the altar.

Lay it all before Him. And let your journey of walking with Christ begin today.

Welcome, Miguel!

October 23, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.” –Luke 5:7

By the grace of God, Jesus continues to fill our nets, and by His grace, He has called our partners to remain faithful as we fish for men. Thus, it is my great honor to introduce to you the Lord’s latest fisher of men, Miguel Hernandes. Miguel’s first teaching will go live on October 24th at 3 p.m. You can read Miguel’s bio by clicking on our “Meet The Team” tab. Please, SOS family, help me welcome this dynamic, gifted, on-fire young man of God to our team.

SOS Family, I am awed by what Jesus is doing through this ministry!

God has favored us to take more and more territory for the Kingdom, and I believe He is just getting started! Having called yet another teacher to help us fish for men, God indeed has blessed and continues to bless Sonsofthesea ministry. This one net thrown out in obedience has grown, by God’s grace, into a global blog ministry that, as of today, reaches multiple nations, including, but not limited to: The United States, Russia, China, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and India.

In addition to Jesus’ faithfulness in taking a ministry born in 2016 in a small room in Hawaii global, Jesus has also been faithful to call committed men and women to join me in fishing for men; using our many nets, our prayer is that we have, and by God’s grace, will continue to catch many souls for His Kingdom and glory.

As Overseer of this ministry, I thank God for each fisherman Jesus calls to join me. And for the “other boat,” Jesus sent us, our ministry partner, Highland City Church, out of whom the Holy Spirit has called devoted, faithful fishers of men.

From all of us at Sonsofthesea, our heartfelt thanks to you for continuing to follow us as we follow Christ Jesus, our Lord. “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” –1 Corinthians 3:6-7

When The Thorn Remains…

October 17, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Emmanuel Lewis

There is a kind of pain that is hard to put into words…

You believe God can heal you. You know His Word says He is faithful. And yet, every morning, you still wake up with a wound that has not closed. You keep praying the same prayer month after month, maybe even year after year, but you start to wonder if heaven has heard the words you have spoken so many times.

You have worshiped through tears. You have quoted Scripture while your circumstances seemed to argue with every promise you were holding on to. You have encouraged other people to trust God, even while quietly wondering how much longer you can keep trusting Him yourself.

Yet somewhere in the silence, this question rises in your heart: Lord, if You love me, why am I still hurting?

That question can feel uncomfortable in church. We often know how to celebrate the testimony after the miracle, but we do not always know how to sit with someone still waiting for one.

What do we say to the person still standing beside a hospital bed, still grieving a loss, still fighting a battle in their mind, or still trying to rebuild what someone else broke?

What do we say when the prayer is sincere, the faith is real, but the pain is still present?

Let’s start here: God has never asked us to pretend.

In John 11, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, was sick. They knew Jesus loved them. They knew He had the power to heal. Surely, they thought, He would come quickly. Yet John 11:6 tells us, “So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”

Jesus loved this family, and He still did not arrive when they expected Him.

By the time Jesus reached Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Martha went out to meet Him, carrying grief and disappointment in the same breath. In John 11:21, she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Those words carry so much honesty…

Martha was not denying Jesus’ power.

She was wrestling with His timing.

She believed He could have stopped the tragedy, and she could not make sense of why He did not come sooner.

Have you ever prayed a version of that prayer?

Lord, if You had intervened, maybe my marriage would be better. If You had answered, maybe my child would not have suffered. If You had moved when I asked, perhaps I would not be carrying this pain today.

Sometimes the hardest part of faith is not believing that God can move. It is trusting Him when He has not moved in the way we hoped He would.

Still, notice what Jesus does when He encounters Mary’s grief and the grief of those mourning with her. John 11:35 gives us one of the shortest verses in Scripture: “Jesus wept.” Jesus knew He was about to call Lazarus out of the tomb, but He still wept with the people who were hurting. He did not stand over them and tell them to have more faith. He stepped into their sorrow.

Jesus did not require them to understand the resurrection before He acknowledged their tears. We sometimes treat grief like it means our faith has failed. But Ecclesiastes 3:4 reminds us there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Scripture makes room for tears because God understands the hearts He created.

You can trust God and still be devastated.

You can believe His promises and still need someone to sit beside you while you cry.

Your tears are not proof that you have abandoned your faith.

Sometimes, they are the most honest expression of a faith that is struggling to understand.

Jesus never promised that following Him would mean a life without suffering. In John 16:33, He told His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Notice how honest that promise is. Jesus did not say trouble might come only if they failed to pray enough or believe hard enough. He said they would face trouble. But He also gave them something stronger than comfortable circumstances: the promise that trouble would not get the final word.

That distinction matters because we can become so focused on asking God to remove our pain that we begin to measure His goodness by whether He does or does not. The apostle Paul understood this tension. In 2 Corinthians 12:8–9, he explains that he pleaded with the Lord three times to take away his thorn in the flesh. He wanted relief. He asked repeatedly. Yet the answer he received was not the immediate deliverance he desired. Instead, God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul’s struggle remained, yet God’s grace was not diminished.

That does not mean every painful season comes with an explanation we will eventually understand. And it does not mean prayer should replace medical care, counseling, or the support of wise and loving people. Some healing comes suddenly. Some healing happens slowly through recovery, care, and community. Some losses cannot be undone in this life. And some questions stay unanswered long after we stop asking them out loud.

Still, unanswered questions do not have to become the foundation of our understanding of God.

Romans 8:38–39 gives us this assurance: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Notice what Paul does not promise. He does not say believers will never experience heartbreak. He declares that nothing we experience can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

Your pain is real, but it does not mean you have been abandoned.

Your unanswered prayer may hurt deeply, but it does not determine your worth.

And your present circumstances, no matter how overwhelming they may feel, do not get to define your whole story.

The greatest evidence of God’s love is not that He has promised to give us everything we ask for. It is that He gave us His Son.

At the Cross, Jesus entered the deepest reality of human suffering. He was betrayed, rejected, beaten, and crucified. He bore our sins so that we could be reconciled to God. And on the third day, He rose again. The resurrection declares that sin and death do not have the final word. That is why Christian hope reaches beyond circumstances.

Revelation 21:4 points us toward the day when God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” This is the promise our faith is moving toward: a day when suffering will end, death will be defeated forever, and God will make all things new.

We may not understand every season we will walk through, but we can trust the One who has promised to redeem His people. Until that day, we wait. Sometimes we wait with confidence. Sometimes we wait with questions.

Sometimes all we can manage is a whispered prayer: Jesus, help me make it through today.

Maybe that is where you are right now. Maybe you have been carrying pain for so long that you have started to wonder whether God still wants you. Maybe you have gone to church for years but have never truly surrendered your life to Christ. Or maybe you have spent so much time trying to fix yourself that you believe you need to become a better version of yourself before you can come to Him. But Jesus does not ask you to heal yourself before you come to Him. He invites you to come to Him for salvation. He offers forgiveness for sin, reconciliation with God, and eternal life to those who put their faith in Him.

Romans 10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

You do not have to understand every season before you surrender your life to Christ.

You do not have to resolve every question before you trust the One who went to the cross for you. And you do not have to walk through your suffering alone. Maybe today, your next step is to bring your whole life, not just your pain, before Jesus. Ask Him for help. Get the care you need. Let trusted people walk with you. Open His Word, even if you have to read it through tears. And remember: the Savior who wept at a tomb is the same Savior who conquered the grave.

I cannot promise that your circumstances will change on your timeline.

But I can point you to the One who offers a hope that suffering cannot destroy…

And if you have spent your life trying to heal wounds you were never meant to carry alone, let today be the day you come to Jesus. Not because you have everything figured out, but because the Savior who conquered the grave is still calling your name, and His arms are still open to welcome you home.

Home Renovations…

October 10, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

MaryEllen Montville

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” –Psalm 127:1

I was awakened to this one Word in my Spirit: Renovations, plural.

Now, I love a good home renovation episode as much as the next guy: replacing outdated countertops and hardware, giving aesthetically unpleasing or ill-functioning cabinetry a fresh, latest look. Updating what is outdated and ineffective, watching it transform into something that changes the home’s function and atmosphere, and breathing new life into what no longer worked is fulfilling to watch unfold. And not only for the owner, but for everyone who gets to experience that transformation.

But the Holy Spirit didn’t show me an aesthetically pleasing renovation.

The houses He renovates often involve a far more labor-intensive, “deconstruct-to-reconstruct” process, spiritually speaking. The Lord Jesus often reconstructs, “a job at a time,” lest the homeowner grow faint under the meticulous work of the Master Builders.

Holy Spirit’s renovation work focuses on the building’s structure—what upholds, supports, and covers the home—not simply upgrading its cosmetic flaws. His deconstruct-to-reconstruct renovation process made sense to me, as I understand God is far more concerned with our character, our “support beams, roof, our pilings and the footings of our foundations” than He is with how aesthetically pleasing to the eye, if you will, our “house” is.

God’s heart, His desire from eternity past, is that His children walk uprightly in obedience and fellowship with Him, that He might bless those who do. “For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” –Psalm 84:11. What earthly parent doesn’t want their child to grow up strong, confident in their parents’ love, living a good life built on an unshakable, righteous character—how much more than does God desire this for His children—and those He is calling to become His own even now.

God desires our proverbial house to reflect the righteous character of His Master Builder, Jesus, character placed in it the moment He took possession of it: Love, joy, kindness, goodness, self-control, patience, peace, faithfulness, and gentleness. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” –Galatians 5:22-23.

God made it possible for our homes to be “constructed” with these incalculable materials through Jesus’ sacrificial life, death, and resurrection—summed up aptly in Jesus’ final words: tetelestai, “It is finished.” The deed to your house, paid in full. Man’s sinful debt satisfied by Jesus’ sinless death.

Each man’s proverbial house is his soul, and only God can reconstruct a soul, returning it to its intended condition. “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” –Psalm 23:3

Future homes will continue to be renovated: “deconstructed-to-be-reconstructed” until Jesus calls us all home. “For just as through one man’s disobedience [his failure to hear, his carelessness] the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of the one Man the many will be made righteous and acceptable to God and brought into right standing with Him.” –Romans 5:19

For our houses to be brought into right standing with God, some of His children will endure a far more intensive renovation process than others.

Because God loves them less?

Not possible!

No. It’s because of Jesus’ great love that some of His children will experience the more intensive renovation needed to keep their proverbial house standing, ready to pass inspection by its Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnificent Owner.

New girders will need to replace unstable main beams, and new floor joists will need to be laid to help carry weight straight to its foundation. Why? God knows the weight this house will carry—and how it must be built to withstand the storms of life, year after year…

Other homes may need new shingles to replace leaky patches on their roofs, keeping the elements out and protecting the work He’s already completed within. If the roof is faulty or leaky, it will eventually damage what lies beneath it—the walls, beams, and wiring—things essential for a safe, solid, well-built home. Additionally, mold and mildew can grow quickly in such conditions, causing this house quite literally to make its owner sick.

Thus, God repairs what’s faulty to make this house safe not only for its owner, but for all who enter…

In other homes, God sees the need to dig out the foundation and pour a deeper, far more stable footing that will undergird what He is constructing for years to come; God will use this major delay in the home’s construction to teach its owner patience and endurance.

Other homes still need to learn to rely on the Master Builder’s plans and materials rather than employing outside builders or employing inferior “do-it-yourself” materials in their own handy work, so-called. God will allow fiery trials to burn away the faulty tools and materials of self-reliance and put a stop to such building practices entirely.

Others have been built to face the vicious storms of adversity head-on; God has fortified their structures with indefatigable materials to withstand the warring storms that will rage against them and protect those God has called to enter them. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” –Matthew 7:24–25

And then there is the home of the prodigal.

Faulty materials were used when its owner cut corners and squandered the precious resources the Master Builder provided during its construction. Instead, they rejected the Master Builder’s offer of supplies, relied on their scant building knowledge, or hired less trustworthy builders who used shoddy materials to build their house. “But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!” – Matthew 7:26-27

As a result, they may taste the Master Builder’s severe mercy. His rigorous gutting of whole sections of their house, rebuilding them afresh, and shoring up their foundation, enabling them finally to withstand the Master Builder’s future additions. The Patriarch Jacob could easily attest to this Truth…

Beloved, only God Himself, the Good, Loving, Master Builder of the house, knows why He’s chosen and appointed some houses and not others for such rigorous deconstruct-to-reconstruct renovations.

The following Scriptures, however, point us, in part, towards an answer. “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” –Romans 5:1-5

Be sure of this, dear homeowner: whatever the trial Jesus allows to touch your house is for your good, to strengthen, purify, fortify, or refine your house and its reliance on Him, and it will result in your good and God’s glory. “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” —1 Peter 1:7

Who has built your house, friend? Was it the Master Builder, or have you taken matters into your own hands and built it yourself? Before you answer, consider the weight of today’s verse. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” –Psalm 127:1

Friend, it is never too late to invite the Master Builder to renovate anything that needs updating in your house…

Faith…

October 3, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Wesley Mendes

I’ve been thinking a lot about faith lately.

Jesus said in John 20:29, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

And that really speaks to me because faith is easy to talk about when you can see the outcome. But what happens when you can’t see it?

What happens when you don’t know how it’ll work out?

When you don’t have the answers?

When you’ve done everything you know how to do, and you still don’t know what comes next?

That’s where faith becomes real.

Because without faith, we naturally fall back on ourselves. We rely on our strength, our understanding, our experience, our plans, and what we know.

And when we do that, we can accidentally put the entire weight of life on ourselves.

“I have to figure this out.”

“I have to fix this.”

“I have to make this happen.”

“I need to know how this is going to work.”

But we were never designed to carry everything on our own.

We were designed to depend on God.

Look at how many times Jesus connected faith to what God was doing.

“Because of your faith, it will happen.” — Matthew 9:29

“Because you believed, it has happened.” — Matthew 8:13

“Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” — Mark 5:34

“Your faith is great. Your request is granted.” — Matthew 15:28

“Your faith has healed you.” — Luke 17:19

And then Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us that even our salvation is a gift from God through faith—not something we can take credit for.

Faith reminds me that I am not God.

I don’t have to know everything.

I don’t have to control everything.

I don’t have to carry everything.

I have to trust the One who does.

And that doesn’t mean faith makes life easy. It means when life gets heavy, I don’t have to carry the weight alone.

My strength can’t accomplish everything.

There are situations my knowledge can’t solve.

There are doors I can’t open.

There are battles I can’t win by myself.

But faith says, “God, I trust You even when I can’t see what You’re doing.”

Sometimes faith means believing for the miracle.

Sometimes faith is believing while you’re waiting for the miracle.

And sometimes faith is simply getting up the next morning and saying, “God, I still trust You.”

Because faith isn’t about having everything figured out.

Faith is choosing dependence over self-reliance.

It’s saying, “God, I don’t know how, but You do. I don’t know when, but You do. I don’t see the way, but You do. And because I know who You are, I can keep moving forward.”

So if you’re in a season right now where you don’t see the answer, don’t let the absence of sight convince you that God is absent.

You may not see Jesus, but you can still trust Him.

You may not understand the process, but you can trust the Person leading you through it.

And when your strength runs out, remember: Maybe you’re not being asked to find more strength within yourself. Maybe you’re being invited to depend more deeply on God.

Because we were never created to carry life without Him.

Faith carries us in places our own strength never could.

Welcome Jesus into your Life today, and please, if you haven’t, say this prayer with me. “Jesus, you are my Lord, and you are my Savior. I believe that you died on the cross just for me, and that you rose from the grave on the third day. I believe in my heart that you are God, and I invite you into my life and into my heart today. In Jesus’ mighty name, I pray, amen.

“Pray [Call] to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you—important secrets [great and hidden things] you have never ·heard [ known] before.” –Jeremiah 33:3

That’s Not For You…

September 26, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Maria Braga

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” –Mark 10:43

The less of Jesus this world has, the louder people cry out for personal recognition, status, power, and prestige. But throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we see patterns of generations marked by godlessness and evil, followed by later generations who are good—for instance, King Hezekiah, “who trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” –2 Kings 18:5.

Then there is King Josiah, who became king at eight years old and reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years (2 Kings 22:1). Both of these kings were righteous. Yet their sons strayed into terribly ungodly behavior (2 Kings 23:32).

Eli was a priest whose sons were “worthless men.”

“Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.” –1 Samuel 2:12.

Similarly, Scripture accuses Samuel’s sons of corruption: “But his sons didn’t take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, selfishly taking bribes and corrupting justice.” –1 Sam 8:3. Not much has changed!

Many children today are still raised by Godly parents, raised in the ways of God, yet because of their free will, they choose their own path. It is not the parents’ fault, but the child’s free-will choice. Parents cry over their child’s unpredictable choices, but all they can do is pray.

In the opening Scripture, Mark, the Author of the Gospel, reveals an issue with the human heart: “pride and competition.”

Many today, consciously or unconsciously, cry out for power.

This longing can harm their spiritual well-being. Ungodly motives lead to pride, and, like the kings and priests of biblical history, some men begin to desire other people’s victories instead of pursuing their own. Man desires what he does not possess. They step out of their designated roles, mistakenly believing they can achieve greatness by doing someone else’s work, job, or ministry “better than” the one God has chosen. This principle is unchanged for the saved and the unsaved alike: John and James asked to sit next to Jesus on thrones, in places of honor. Danger lies in not fully understanding what we are asking for, and in operating out of our natural selves rather than as the spiritual beings we truly are.

When we read Mark 10 in context and consider the conversation in the verses before Mark 10:43, we learn that even John and James, the sons of Zebedee, Apostles of Jesus, had fleshly motives: a desire to sit on a glorious throne with Jesus. Jesus’ answer to them is astounding to me: “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” –Mark 10:38.

This is the same conversation Jesus would likely have with many today.

God is not looking for something new we can offer Him; rather, He wants us to use wisely what He has already bestowed upon us. We must grasp this fundamental Truth by accepting the fact that Creator God knew us before we were formed in our mothers’ wombs. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” –Jeremiah 1:5.

Jesus is seeking hearts willing to embrace the commands He gives and the destinies He has ordained. He desires a people with open hands, unafraid to cultivate the spiritual fields around them without expectation—obedient and ready to surrender all they possess, as Moses did in Exodus 4:2, when the Lord asked, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “A rod.”

Today, God asks each of us the same question: “What is in your hand? What have I given you already? And are you willing to use it for My glory?

Like Moses, our answer matters.

From birth, some are told how beautiful they are, or how good they are—how much they deserve the best, to be first, to win. Often, by age ten, many children believe they have “arrived” and begin to demand things they have no right to because of words spoken over them. They, in turn, start speaking to their parents and teachers with a sense of entitlement, creating a culture where so many children and adults alike today feel like they’re owed something.

Society struggles to learn God’s valuable lessons because it often refuses to recognize or believe in Jesus’ existence.

Self-evaluation is a good spiritual practice to do from time to time, checking where we are spiritually. In our humanity, we are creatures of habit, and habits are sometimes hard to break. We must retrain our minds in the ways of the Lord. If we belong to Jesus, we must start new practices and habits, so we begin to live as the “new creation” we are.

This new life is a gift from God to us that the enemy often tries to snatch from us.

Beware of the thief!

Today, few want to be servants; the term has taken on negative connotations. Instead, many compete for power and position, as our opening text points out.

Yet God is still seeking those who will pick up the towel and basin. Despite being in proximity to the Source of Living Water, even Jesus’ disciples, who walked alongside Him, debated who would sit at His left or right hand in the Kingdom. They too longed for seats of power and recognition.

I find it interesting that, while they sought glory, Jesus offered them the path to servanthood.

The greatest test for every Christian is learning that true greatness is found in the humility to serve. In a kind yet firm way, Jesus tells His disciples that seeking to be served is not the path He has chosen for them: “Among you, it’s not so.”

We understand in this that Jesus measures a servant’s greatness by humility.

Love is expressed through service to others. The universal language of God’s Kingdom is that of service, a concept understood across every nation and tongue. Can serving with a pure servant’s heart bring us as close as we can come to living heaven on earth—giving without expecting anything in return?

A believer who reaches this point of selfless giving has achieved a great measure of maturity. Serving is often a quiet, unseen act that leads to our rejoicing when we see others flourish. It may mean washing the feet of someone undeserving or showing love through our actions rather than mere words. Serving is a spiritual, sacrificial act!

No position is more esteemed, no ministry purer, no calling higher or holier than when someone responds as Mary, Jesus’ mother once did: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” –Luke 1:38.

To serve others is to die to self a little each day, so that Christlikeness can grow within us, allowing all who meet us to be touched by His greatness, not our own. Whoever wants to become great must first learn how to be a servant. Seek first God’s Kingdom, trusting in the promised result that everything else will come.

Here’s the principle: there is only One who is the Great I AM – Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient. He is our Great Creator God, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit. His position is taken; it is not for you.

Father, I pray that everyone reading this today finds fulfillment by accepting you as Lord and Savior of their lives. May anyone hungry or thirsty for you find comfort and peace through your Word. May your Spirit touch and save all who are seeking to find you today. Bring each person the satisfaction and fulfillment they need. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

You say, “Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest” –Matt 11:28.

Faith In The Tension…

September 21, 2026 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Emmanuel Lewis

Because of a website issue, Saturday’s teaching didn’t upload, but here it is, family! I thank you for your patience…MaryEllen.

There is a kind of faith we celebrate because it is easy to recognize. It is the faith that shouts. The faith that dances when the door opens. The faith that testifies when the prayer has been answered. The faith that says, “Look what the Lord has done!” And we should celebrate that faith.

But there is another kind of faith that rarely gets celebrated.

It is quieter. It doesn’t always have a testimony yet. Sometimes it is sitting in a hospital room. Sometimes it is driving home after receiving news you didn’t expect. Sometimes it is staring at an unanswered prayer and wondering how many more times you are supposed to say, “I trust You.” Sometimes faith is simply getting on your knees with tears in your eyes and no eloquent prayer left. It is the faith that exists somewhere between what God said and what you can see.

That is the tension.

And perhaps some of the deepest faith God ever develops in us is formed there. Not when everything makes sense. But when it doesn’t. We love God’s promises, but we struggle with the space between the promise and its fulfillment. God told Abraham he would become the father of many nations, but Abraham still had to wait. Joseph dreamed of greatness, but before he reached the palace, he found himself in a pit. David was anointed king, but the anointing did not immediately put a crown on his head. Israel was promised a land flowing with milk and honey, but a wilderness lay between Egypt and Canaan.

Scripture doesn’t hide this tension. It puts it on display.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

What we do not see. That is where faith becomes necessary. If you could see everything, predict everything, and explain everything, you wouldn’t need faith. Faith begins where your ability to control the outcome ends. And that’s uncomfortable.

We would rather have a five-year plan from God than a daily dependence on God. We want the entire staircase illuminated before we take the first step. But God often gives enough light for the next step. Maybe because God isn’t merely trying to get us somewhere. Maybe He is teaching us how to walk with Him.

Few things test faith like unanswered questions. Why did this happen? Why didn’t God heal them? Why did the relationship end? Why did the opportunity disappear? Why did the door close? Why am I still waiting? The Bible is filled with people who asked questions. David questioned. Jeremiah wrestled. Habakkuk questioned why evil seemed to prosper. Job demanded an explanation for suffering he could not understand.

And yet God did not discard them for wrestling thoughts.

God is not intimidated by your questions. You don’t have to protect God from your honesty. Bring Him the anger. The disappointment. The confusion. The fear. The doubt. The grief. He already knows what is happening inside of you. Job eventually said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” — Job 42:5 NIV.

Job received something greater than an explanation. He encountered God. Sometimes we ask God, “Why?” And God answers by revealing “Who.” Not always the reason. But Himself. One of the most dangerous assumptions we make in difficult seasons is that if God isn’t speaking, God must not be present.

But silence and absence are not the same thing.

There will be seasons when Scripture feels quiet, prayer feels difficult, worship feels like a routine, and you keep asking while nothing seems to change. You may wonder if heaven has your address. But faith learns something in those seasons: God’s presence cannot be measured by your feelings. You may feel abandoned while being held. You may feel forgotten while being remembered. You may feel lost while God is leading you.

Your feelings are real, but they are not reliable interpreters of reality.

This is why our faith cannot ultimately rest on how we feel about God. It must rest on who God is. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Your emotions change. Your circumstances change. Your relationships change. Your plans change. Your season changes. God doesn’t.

So when everything around you is moving, anchor yourself to what remains.

There is also a dangerous version of Christianity that makes certainty sound like maturity. It teaches us that strong Christians never question, struggle, doubt, or feel afraid. But Scripture tells a different story. A father once brought his suffering son to Jesus. He wanted to believe, but he knew unbelief lived inside him. His prayer was painfully honest: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” — Mark 9:24 NIV.

What a prayer.

He didn’t pretend. He didn’t clean up his emotions before approaching Jesus. He simply said, “Lord, there is faith in me, but there is also fear. Help me.” And Jesus met him there. Maybe that’s something we need to recover. Faith isn’t pretending you have no questions.

Faith is refusing to let your questions become greater than God.

You can say, “I don’t understand,” and still say, “I trust You.” Those statements are not enemies. Sometimes they are the very place where mature faith begins. Consider Jesus in Gethsemane. He knew what was coming. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” — Matthew 26:39 NIV.

Jesus asked for another way. He already knew there wasn’t one. From Friday’s perspective, it looked like everything had gone wrong. The Messiah was beaten, mocked, rejected, and crucified. The disciples scattered. Hope appeared to have died.

But the disciples were judging Friday without knowing Sunday was coming.

And we do the same thing. We judge a chapter before God has finished the story. We look at the closed door and call it rejection. We look at the delay and call it denial. We look at the wilderness and call it abandonment. We look at the grave and assume the story is over. But Christianity was born from a grave that wasn’t the end. The cross looked like defeat. It became redemption. The grave looked like an ending. It became a doorway.

So be careful about judging God on Friday when Sunday is still coming.

Faith is not trusting God because you know He will give you what you want. True faith eventually reaches the place where it can say: “God, I trust You even when the path is unclear.” Even if the door stays closed. Even if the answer is no. Even if the healing doesn’t come in the form I expected. Even if the dream changes. Even if the timeline is longer than I wanted. Even if I never understand why.

That kind of faith doesn’t merely trust God’s hand. It trusts God’s heart.

Trusting God’s hand says, “I trust what You will do.” Trusting God’s heart says, “I trust who You are, regardless of what You do.” That is surrender. So keep walking. Keep praying. Keep seeking. Keep believing. Not because you know exactly what tomorrow holds. But because you know who holds tomorrow.

Some days, faith feels like fire. Some days, faith feels like a whisper. And there will be days when faith feels like nothing more than getting out of bed and saying: “Lord, I’m still here.” Don’t underestimate that prayer. Sometimes staying is an act of worship. Sometimes getting back on your knees is victory. Sometimes faith doesn’t look like conquering the mountain. Sometimes faith looks like refusing to stop walking toward God while you’re still in the valley. There is a place between promise and proof, where heaven feels distant, and questions have roots. Where prayers seem unanswered, and nights seem too long, where the heart grows weary from trying to be strong.

But faith keeps breathing, though answers delay. It walks through the darkness, still choosing the Way. For maybe the miracle isn’t the storm disappearing, but discovering God was there while you were fearing. And maybe the deepest faith isn’t knowing what comes next.

Maybe it is knowing who holds what comes next.

So when you cannot see His hand, trust His heart. When you cannot understand His plan, trust His character. When you cannot hear His voice, remember His Word. And when you don’t know what to do next, take the next faithful step because faith was never about having all the answers. Faith is about knowing the One who does. You can live without knowing how the story will end because you know the Author has not stopped writing.

That is faith in the tension.

Have you put whatever faith you have in Jesus? Have you chosen to make Him your Lord and Savior? If not, won’t you take that life-saving step today…

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