Category - Devotionals

Ezra 1:3 (NASB)
“Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.”

Devotional Thought:
After exile, God stirred hearts to return and rebuild. Gratitude remembers that He brings us back from far places to restore us.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude celebrates God’s mercy in bringing His people home.
2. Restoration begins with worship and rebuilding His house.
3. Gratitude trusts God’s presence in every return.

Poem – “The Return”
The exile was long,
But God opened the way,
The people went home,
The house would rise,
The Lord was faithful.

The city lay in ruins,
But the promise was alive,
The hearts were stirred,
The work began,
The hope was sure.

Gratitude rejoices in return,
Faith rebuilds His house,
Hope rests in His word,
Peace lives in His presence,
Joy sings in His mercy.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You bring Your people back from exile. Thank You that restoration begins with worship.
Teach me to rejoice in Your mercy when You call me home. May gratitude shape my heart as I rebuild life around You.

Psalm 51:10 (NASB)
“Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Devotional Thought:
After David’s failure, he prayed for a new heart and spirit. Gratitude sees that forgiveness is not just cleansing but renewal. God gives us new beginnings when we fall.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude admits sin and seeks God’s cleansing.
2. Forgiveness is not the end but the beginning of renewal.
3. Gratitude rejoices that God gives second chances.

Poem – “The Clean Heart”
The weight of sin was heavy,
The heart was broken within,
But mercy heard the cry,
Grace answered in love,
The soul was restored.

A new heart was given,
A steadfast spirit renewed,
The guilt was lifted,
The shame was gone,
The song returned.

Gratitude rejoices in mercy,
Faith trusts His grace,
Hope lives in forgiveness,
Peace rests in cleansing,
Joy sings again.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You create clean hearts and renew steadfast spirits. Thank You for mercy that restores after failure.
Help me to walk in gratitude for Your forgiveness. May my life be a testimony that with You, every fall can become a new beginning.

1 Samuel 2:1 (NASB)
“Then Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.’”

Devotional Thought:
Hannah’s barrenness turned to blessing. Gratitude erupted in a new song when God answered her cry. Every new beginning is a reason for worship.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude rejoices in God’s salvation, not just His gifts.
2. God turns sorrow into songs of joy.
3. Gratitude finds its voice when hope is fulfilled.

Poem – “The Song of Hannah”
Tears once filled her eyes,
But now joy filled her voice,
The Lord had remembered,
The child was given,
The song was new.

Salvation was her boast,
Her strength was in God,
The proud were silenced,
The humble were lifted,
The Lord was praised.

Gratitude sings in worship,
Faith declares His power,
Hope rejoices in His salvation,
Peace rests in His will,
Joy praises His name.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for Hannah’s song of gratitude when You gave her Samuel. Thank You that You turn sorrow into songs of joy.
Teach me to rejoice not just in gifts but in the Giver. May gratitude fill my heart and voice each day in worship to You.

Joshua 3:17 (NASB)
“And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

Devotional Thought:
A new land required a new crossing. God dried the Jordan so His people could step into promise. Gratitude remembers that every new beginning comes through His power, not ours.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude trusts that God makes a way where there is none.
2. His presence goes before us into new seasons.
3. Gratitude rejoices that His promises always come with His power.

Poem – “The Jordan Crossed”
The river was wide and strong,
But God parted the way,
The ark stood in the middle,
The people walked through,
The land was ahead.

Dry ground appeared,
Feet stepped in faith,
The nation crossed over,
The promise was near,
The Lord was faithful.

Gratitude walks forward,
Faith trusts His path,
Hope sees His promise,
Peace rests in His power,
Joy sings of His hand.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You make a way when there is no way. Thank You that You go before us into every new beginning.
Help me to trust You in the crossings of life. May gratitude keep my feet steady as I follow Your presence into promise.

Ezekiel 36:26 (NASB)
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

Devotional Thought:
True new beginnings happen inside us. God does not polish old hearts; He gives new ones. Gratitude bows before the miracle of regeneration, where stony hearts become living hearts.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude acknowledges that only God can give a new heart.
2. The Spirit transforms what we cannot change.
3. Gratitude rejoices that new life begins with new hearts.

Poem – “The New Heart”
The stone was heavy and cold,
But God removed it,
A heart of flesh replaced it,
Life began anew,
The Spirit breathed within.

The dead became alive,
The hard became soft,
The closed was opened,
The cold was warmed,
The heart was His.

Gratitude beats in the new heart,
Faith rests in His work,
Hope lives in His Spirit,
Peace flows from His gift,
Joy sings of His grace.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You do not leave me with a heart of stone. Thank You that You give new hearts and new spirits through Your grace.
Teach me to live out of the heart You have given me. May gratitude mark every beat, for my life is new because of You.

Exodus 12:2 (NASB)
“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.”

Devotional Thought:
With the Passover, God marked a new beginning for His people. Israel’s calendar started with redemption. Gratitude remembers that all new beginnings are built on deliverance by the blood of the Lamb.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude sees redemption as the true beginning of life.
2. The blood of the lamb foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice for us.
3. Gratitude starts the calendar with grace, not achievement.

Poem – “The Beginning of Months”
The night was covered in fear,
But the blood marked the door,
The Lamb gave His life,
Judgment passed over,
Redemption began.

The calendar turned new,
The people walked free,
Egypt was behind,
The promise ahead,
The Lord was with them.

Gratitude starts with redemption,
Faith walks in freedom,
Hope looks forward,
Peace follows the Lamb,
Joy sings of salvation.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that Israel’s story began with redemption. Thank You that the blood of the Lamb was their covering, pointing to Christ.
Help me to live each day as a new beginning in Your grace. May gratitude remind me that my life is marked not by what I have done but by what Christ has finished.

Genesis 12:1 (NASB)
“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.’”

Devotional Thought:
God called Abram to leave the familiar for the unknown, promising blessing. New beginnings often mean stepping away from comfort and stepping into faith. Gratitude sees God’s call as invitation, not interruption.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude follows God’s call even when the way is unclear.
2. God’s call is always rooted in His promise.
3. Gratitude learns that every new beginning requires trust.

Poem – “The Call to Go”
The voice broke the silence,
Leave and follow Me,
The land was unseen,
The promise was sure,
Faith was required.

The step was hard,
The cost was real,
But the blessing was greater,
The covenant was near,
God was faithful.

Gratitude follows the call,
Faith trusts the promise,
Hope walks the path,
Peace rests in His plan,
Love obeys His voice.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You called Abram to a new beginning. Thank You that Your promises are greater than our fears.
Help me to walk in faith when You call me forward. May gratitude move me to trust Your voice and follow wherever You lead.

Genesis 9:13 (NASB)
“I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall serve as a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.”

Devotional Thought:
After the flood, God gave Noah a rainbow as a sign of His covenant mercy. New beginnings are not man’s doing but God’s promise. Gratitude clings to the God who makes covenants of grace.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude rejoices that God gives mercy after judgment.
2. The rainbow reminds us that God’s promises paint the sky of our lives.
3. Gratitude rests in God’s covenant faithfulness, not our strength.

Poem – “The Rainbow Sign”
The flood had passed,
The waters receded,
But mercy remained,
The sky was painted,
The promise was sure.

A bow of colors stretched,
A covenant was sealed,
The world was new,
The mercy of God remained,
Grace covered the earth.

Gratitude sees the sky,
Faith trusts His word,
Hope rests in His covenant,
Peace flows from His promise,
Love remembers His sign.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You that the rainbow is Your sign of mercy, proof that judgment is not the final word. Thank You that You begin again in grace.
Teach me to live in gratitude for Your covenant faithfulness. May I rest in the assurance that Your promises hold even after life’s storms.

Genesis 1:1 (NASB)
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Devotional Thought:
Every new beginning starts with God. Creation itself was His act of speaking order out of chaos, light out of darkness, and life out of emptiness. Gratitude grows when we remember that the God who began creation is the same God who begins again in us.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude acknowledges that God is the God of beginnings.
2. Creation reminds us that God alone brings something out of nothing.
3. Gratitude rejoices that the One who began creation is faithful to begin again in us.

Poem – “The First Beginning”
Darkness covered the deep,
But God spoke light,
Chaos bowed to His order,
The world was formed,
Life began in Him.

The heavens stretched wide,
The earth took shape,
Creation sang His glory,
The stars shone bright,
The seas roared His name.

Gratitude lifts its voice,
Faith sees His hand,
Hope trusts His power,
Love rests in His care,
New beginnings are His gift.

Prayer:
Father, thank You that You are the God of beginnings. Thank You that the same power that created the heavens and the earth is at work in me.
Teach me to trust You for new beginnings in my life. May gratitude fill me as I remember that the One who created all things is faithful to renew all things.

John 3:16 (NASB)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

Devotional Thought:
The birth of Jesus was the giving of God’s Son. Gratitude rejoices that belief in Him brings eternal life, the greatest gift of all.

Three Comments:

1. Gratitude marvels at the love of God in giving His Son.
2. Eternal life is the promise secured by His birth, death, and resurrection.
3. Gratitude receives the gift of eternal life through faith.

Poem – “The Gift of the Son”
The world was loved,
The Son was given,
The promise was made,
The hope was secured,
Eternal life was offered.

Belief opens the door,
Faith takes the gift,
The heart is saved,
The soul is free,
The life is forever.

Gratitude receives the love,
Joy sings the promise,
Hope lives eternal,
Peace rests secure,
Christ is mine.

Prayer:
Father, thank You that You so loved the world that You gave Your only Son. Thank You that belief in Him gives eternal life.
Help me to live each day in gratitude for this greatest gift. May my life proclaim the love that gave and the promise that saves.