FOCUS OF THE MONTH (FOM)
THE TRAINING AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A GODLY MOTHER
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK (SOW)
For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.
– 1 Samuel 1:27 KJV
For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. – 1 Samuel 1:27 ESV
MINISTRY RESOURCES
Wednesday Corporate Fasting Scripture – Isaiah 58 (ESV); Isaiah 58 (KJV)
Friday End of Week Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)
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ESV Translation Philosophy
The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to reproduce the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking full account of differences in grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and exact force of the original.
In contrast to the ESV, some Bible versions have followed a “thought-for-thought” rather than “word-for-word” translation philosophy, emphasizing “dynamic equivalence” rather than the “essentially literal” meaning of the original. A “thought-for-thought” translation is of necessity more inclined to reflect the interpretive views of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture.
Every translation is at many points a trade-off between literal precision and readability, between “formal equivalence” in expression and “functional equivalence” in communication, and the ESV is no exception. Within this framework, we have sought to be “as literal as possible” while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence. Therefore, to the extent that plain English permits and the meaning in each case allows, we have sought to use the same English word for important recurring words in the original; and, as far as grammar and syntax allow, we have rendered Old Testament passages cited in the New in ways that show their correspondence. Thus in each of these areas, as well as throughout the Bible as a whole, we have sought to capture all the echoes and overtones of meaning that are so abundantly present in the original texts.
As an essentially literal translation, taking into account grammar and syntax, the ESV thus seeks to carry over every possible nuance of meaning in the original words of Scripture into our own language. As such, the ESV is ideally suited for in-depth study of the Bible. Indeed, with its commitment to literary excellence, the ESV is equally well suited for public reading and preaching, for private reading and reflection, for both academic and devotional study, and for Scripture memorization.
PRAISE & WORSHIP
DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Sunday, May 17, 2026 – DEEP ROOTS – Jeremiah 17:5-8
Daily Bread Focus(es): Trust in God
Scripture(s):
Today’s Devotional
As Douglas Kent, a landscape architect, toured a charred Los Angeles neighborhood after the city’s raging 2025 wildfires, he encountered a shocking surprise—trees, alive and green, right next to melted cars and burned buildings. Many of them bore lush palms and leaves, abundant fruit, and strong trunks and branches. How?
After two consecutive rainy winters, the trees’ roots had reached deep into the soil to draw moisture, carrying it to branches and leaves. In a fire, they proved resistant. “What I saw,” said Kent, “was that if you were deep-rooted, you survived.”
Our faith during the fiery trials of life can be like that. As we set our spiritual roots deep in Christ and His love, we become “like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8).
Jeremiah, who never minced words, warned that those who trust in “mere flesh” are “cursed” (v. 5). “That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes.” Instead, “they will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives” (vv. 5-6). How much better to trust in God! Well-watered by His sustaining love, we thrive even in raging times, bearing spiritual fruit in Him.
Reflect & Pray
How deep are your roots in Christ? How can you trust Him during fiery trials?
Dear God, as the world seems to burn around me, please remind me to trust in You.
Today’s Insights
Jeremiah warned the unrepentant, idolatrous people of Judah that God would exile them to Babylon for their unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 25:8-11). God persistently and patiently urged them to repent before it was too late (35:15) and promised restoration and blessing once discipline was complete (31:23-28). In chapter 17, Jeremiah contrasts the curses on the ungodly with the blessings on the godly (vv. 5-8).
In language reminiscent of Psalm 1:1-3, the prophet proclaims: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. . . . They will be like a tree planted by the water” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). In contrast, cursed are those who “turn their hearts away from the Lord . . . with no hope for the future” (vv. 5-6 nlt). The curse and blessing motifs are also in line with the covenantal consequences laid out in Deuteronomy 28. In times of adversity, Jeremiah reminds us that our security, stability, faithfulness, and fruitfulness are rooted in our trust in God, not in men.
Learn how to move from a shallow life to the firm foundation of your identity in Christ.
Monday, May 18, 2026 – ANATOMY OF A HARDENING HEART – Hebrews 3:7-15
Daily Bread Focus(es): Spiritual growth
Scripture(s):
Today’s Devotional
It’s fascinating to see your own heart. Recently, I did. Chest pain led me to see a doctor, who ordered tests that allowed me to see that my heart has calcium buildup. More than I should have. Atherosclerosis, the doctors call it: hardening of the arteries.
I’ve made big diet and exercise changes. But I’ve also realized that my cardiac concerns didn’t emerge overnight. In my case, they were the fruit of unhealthy choices. In time, those habits couldn’t help but impact my heart’s health.
Scripture uses similar language to describe being spiritually unhealthy. Our hearts can gradually grow hardened toward God—one day and one choice at a time. Hebrews 3:7-8 (referencing Psalm 95:7-8) says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” After God delivered His people from Egypt, they “tested and tried [Him]” (v. 9) during their time in the wilderness.
God had faithfully provided for His people, but they refused to see it (vv. 9-10). What about us? What habits nudge us away from God—day by day hardening our hearts against Him? We all make some of those choices. So I’m thankful that today, right now, God offers to exchange our hearts of stone for those softened by His love (see Ezekiel 36:26).
Reflect & Pray
How is God drawing you closer to Him? How can you learn to hear His voice?
Dear Father, sometimes my heart gets tired. Please forgive me for choosing the wrong things. Help me embrace Your offer to cleanse and soften my hard heart.
Today’s Insights
Hebrews 3:7-15 is a reflection on the ongoing relevance of the terms today (vv. 7, 13) and rest (v. 11) from key Old Testament passages. Today in Psalm 95:7, for example, captures a moment in Israel’s wilderness sojourn when they hardened their hearts and didn’t respond with belief—a related theme developed further in Hebrews 4.
A whole generation missed the rest that the promised land graciously offered to those who’d take God at His word. The writer of Hebrews compares this rest with the seventh day of creation, which is itself an invitation into God’s rest (vv. 4-6). To completely trust in His work, rather than our own, is literally our ultimate “Sabbath-rest” (v. 9). Today, we can ask God to soften our hardened hearts and rest in His love.
Discover more about hearing the voice of God.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – FULLY DEDICATED TO GOD – Genesis 39:2-6, 20-23
Daily Bread Focus(es): Healing; Hope; Humility; Service; Stewardship; Suffering
Scripture(s):
Today’s Devotional
Like all Singaporean men, I had to serve in the country’s armed forces when I turned eighteen. To be honest, I approached the conscription, which lasted two-and-a-half years, most reluctantly. Like many other young men, I tried to do the minimum, obeying instructions to the letter—no more, no less.
Some, however, threw themselves into their tasks and ultimately gained much from their experience, learning about leadership and endurance. In hindsight, I realize that this type of effort and positive attitude would have pleased God—much like what Joseph showed in Scripture.
Despite being sold off as a slave and imprisoned later on, he fulfilled all his assigned responsibilities with the greatest dedication. Instead of resenting his situation, he took his role seriously, so much so that “Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care” (Genesis 39:6). Joseph also ended up in charge of the prison—and, finally, all of Egypt.
Centuries later, the apostle Paul would also urge believers in Jesus: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). While our situations may be far from ideal, may God help us to be faithful in the tasks assigned to us, for we’re working for Him—the one who sees our true heart.
Reflect & Pray
What undesirable situations have you found yourself in? How did you respond in attitude and in actions?
Dear Father, please help me be faithful in what I do, in whatever situation You’ve allowed me to be in, for ultimately, I’m serving You.
Today’s Insights
Genesis 39’s story of Joseph’s integrity immediately follows the tale of Judah and Tamar in chapter 38. Here we see the opposite of integrity when Joseph’s brother Judah fails to care for his daughter-in-law Tamar after his sons’ deaths (vv. 6-11, 14). This ultimately leads to Tamar resorting to a desperate scheme (vv. 14-26).
In chapter 39, Joseph also faces a sexual temptation when Potiphar’s wife attempts to seduce him. But, unlike Judah, he responds with integrity (vv. 7-10). Even when subjected to unjust imprisonment, Joseph chooses to serve faithfully (vv. 21-23), and God’s presence with him in prison sets the stage for his rise to power in Egypt (see ch. 40). This can remind us today that God can help us be faithful to Him even in difficult situations.
Find strength for the journey of life.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 – JOY IN JESUS – 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
Daily Bread Focus(es): Bible study; Disciple-making; Evangelism
Scripture(s):
Today’s Devotional
Do you ever long for something you see glimpses of but can’t quite grasp? C. S. Lewis longed for joy. He wrote, “Our longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we now feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which we have always seen from the outside, is . . . the truest index of our real situation. And to be at last summoned inside would be . . . the healing of that old ache. . . . The whole man is to drink joy from the fountain of joy.”
Lewis writes of the joy we’ll experience in full when we see Jesus face-to-face. As believers in Jesus, we have the joy of Christ through our relationship with Him and the work of His Spirit inside us. But sadly our joy is hampered by sin and death, the forces of evil, and the world’s brokenness. Paul writes, “Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). In verse 10, Paul talks of the coming “completeness.” This is when we’ll know and experience joy fully because we’re with Jesus.
Although we wait expectantly for that day, He gives us a small foretaste now of the overflowing, unhindered joy of heaven!
Reflect & Pray
What do you think it will be like to see Jesus? What do you most look forward to in heaven?
Heavenly Father, thank You for the moments of joy I experience here on earth. I’m anticipating the day when I can know it in full.
Today’s Insights
As 1 Corinthians 13:12 reminds us, one day we’ll see clearly when we see Jesus “face to face.” Grand and glorious realities await us at death and with the return of Christ, but even now some of those good things are ours to experience. Through the encouragement of Scripture, the life we share with believers in Jesus, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we get “sneak previews” and a “foretaste” of things to come. Such things are particularly meaningful to those undergoing trials.
The apostle Peter’s words included the following encouragement: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9). Today, we can look for glimpses of joy around us as a reminder of the fullness of joy that’s yet to come.
Learn more about longing for home.
Thursday, May 21, 2026 – LONGING FOR HOME – Psalm 137:1-6
Daily Bread Focus(es): Aging
Scripture(s):
Today’s Devotional
Ethel and Ed live in the high desert area of the Rocky Mountains. As our family visited them on their ranch filled with memorabilia, the conversation turned to childhood stories of riding horses on the grasslands of North Dakota and herding cattle in Montana. They’re on in years now, and I could hear in their voices a longing for home.
Psalm 137 captures a similar emotion. The Israelites had been forced into captivity and longed for home. “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept,” they said. “There our captors asked us for songs” (vv. 1, 3), prompting the Israelites to ask, “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?” (v. 4).
The longing to return from exile is a common theme throughout the Old Testament prophets. Eventually the Israelites did return. They rebuilt Jerusalem and resettled in the land, but it was never the same. When the temple was rebuilt, those who remembered its former glory wept because it was a shadow of the first (Ezra 3:12).
Old age may feel as if we’re in exile from our former selves as time takes a toll on mind and body. For those who know Jesus, this longing points not to the past but the future. That’s where my conversation turned with Ethel and Ed—a longing for our future home, where everything is made right and is far better than anything we can imagine.
Reflect & Pray
What do you miss from the past? How might this longing help you anticipate the future?
Father in heaven, thank You that You’re with me in every stage of life and that You’re preparing a bright future for me.
For further study, read Hunting for Resurrection Hope.
Today’s Insights
“There on the poplars we hung our harps,” says the psalmist of the Jewish exiles, whose desolate situation quenched their musical passions (Psalm 137:2). This national despondency metastasized into bitterness, and the songwriter concludes on a disturbing note: “Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks” (v. 9). Many have attempted to explain away this horrifying imagery. One plausible interpretation, however, is that these exiles had witnessed such atrocities committed against their own children.
In turn, they anticipated divine judgment of their tormentors. Their desire isn’t to carry this out personally but rather to let God exact His vengeance (vv. 7-8). But the song clings to hope with its focus on Jerusalem (vv. 5-6)—the city of God. Our own griefs and regrets in life may make us feel like we’re in exile, but we too can find hope by trusting our loving God and resting in the promise of our future home with Him.
Friday, May 22, 2026 – SEEKING GOD’S FACE – Isaiah 41:17-20
Daily Bread Focus(es): Creation; Hope; Suffering
Scriptures(s):
Today’s Devotional
Those who drive along Highway 18 in western Oregon each fall are greeted with a delightful surprise from the tree-covered hillside flanking the road: a giant smiley face. The cheerful face is only visible in the autumn when the Larch tree needles turn yellow, contrasting with the surrounding, dark green Douglas fir trees (which create the eyes and mouth). A lumber company planted the three-hundred-foot-diameter face in 2011 as part of an effort to replenish the timber they’d harvested.
Isaiah invites us to know God as the one who brings life to desolate places. He reminded the Israelites during the barrenness of their captivity that God “[makes] rivers flow,” can “turn the desert into pools of water,” and grow “the cedar and the acacia” in the desert (Isaiah 41:18-19). God does these things not solely for His (and our) delight; He plants junipers, fir, and cypress “so that people may see and know” (v. 20) that He authors all and will ultimately redeem all—even those places thought to be a “wasteland” (v. 19).
Though we may not glimpse a face smiling back at us from a hillside, all of creation can remind us of God’s redemptive power over our world and our individual circumstances—even in the wake (or fear) of devastation. Let’s seek His face as our source of hope and joy amid our struggles.
Reflect & Pray
When has God brought joy or hope to a place of sadness in your life? How does creation direct your focus to Him in times of hardship?
Thank You, dear Father, for Your creative and redemptive work in the world.
Today’s Insights
In chapters 1-39, Isaiah warns an unrepentant people that God will use the Assyrians and the Babylonians to discipline them for their idolatrous unfaithfulness. But beginning in chapter 40, the prophet extols God’s grace and covenantal kindness and prophesies a future restoration and glorious blessing. As the sovereign God, He has the power to save, protect, and restore (40:10-17). The prophet also reminds them of God’s loving, providential care.
The Israelites have a very special relationship with Him, having been graciously chosen to be His servant (41:8). God won’t abandon them but will keep them close and care for them (vv. 8-10, 17). He’ll bountifully provide for them and turn the arid desert into a land of flowing water and great productivity (vv. 18-19). Like the people in Isaiah’s days, creation reminds us that He is “the Lord” (v. 13), our “Redeemer” (v. 14), “the Holy One of Israel,” and Creator (v. 20). We can trust Him with the circumstances in our lives.
Learn how ordinary outdoor moments can encourage you to connect with the Father on a deeper level.
Saturday, May 23, 2026 – FREEDOM IN CHRIST – 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Daily Bread Focus(es): Holy Spirit; Spiritual Warfare
Scripture(s):
Today’s Devotional
In 1849, Henry “Box” Brown (a US enslaved man from Virginia) folded himself into a wooden crate marked “dry goods,” and two friends shipped him from Richmond to Philadelphia. Brown was inside the box (3 x 2.5 x 2 feet) for the 26-hour trip, with three small holes cut for air. As abolitionists pulled Brown from the box, he sang a paraphrase of Psalm 40, expressing his hope in the God who promises freedom. “If you have never been deprived of your liberty, as I was,” Brown later wrote, “you cannot realize the power of that hope of freedom, which was to me indeed, an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast.”
Freedom is central to how God operates in our hearts and in our world. His wisdom leads to spiritual freedom, but false wisdom leads to oppression. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is,” Paul says, “there is freedom” from sin, death, and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:17). When we listen to God and follow His ways, freedom results. Unfortunately the opposite is also true: When we ignore Him and resist His invitations, we become ensnared and confined. God liberates and transforms us by His Spirit (v. 18), but sin and rebellion traps us.
We sometimes believe that God limits and obstructs our possibilities and pleasure. But in truth, He’s the only one who can lead us into an expansive future, the only one who can guide us into genuine freedom.
Reflect & Pray
Where have you felt trapped in life? How do you sense God’s desire to guide you into freedom?
Dear God, please help me to be transformed and free in You.
Learn more about having a personal relationship with God.
Today’s Insights
In 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, Paul contrasts the old covenant (a binding agreement defining how God would relate to His people) given through the law of Moses with the new covenant of the Spirit available through Jesus. The old covenant, though “glorious,” “brought condemnation” (v. 9) and was temporary (v. 11). Its glory was veiled, and the people could never fully see its glory because of their sin (vv. 12-15). In the new covenant, Christ’s Spirit removes the veil so that God’s people can truly see and be transformed by Jesus’ glory—bringing true freedom (vv. 16-18).
AN INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT BY SISTER CLOVIA
CHRISTIAN-BASED MOVIE FOR THE MONTH
***The Daily Devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries and the Scriptures are from the BibleGateway.***
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