Archive for March 2026
Preparing the Upper Room
Scripture: “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.” — Luke 22:10
Before the Last Supper, Jesus gave His disciples simple instructions. They were to go into the city and follow a man carrying a jar of water. There they would find the place prepared for them.
At first glance, this detail may seem small. Yet it reminds us that God is at work in both the grand and the ordinary moments of our lives.
I drove my sister back and forth to Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta for 42 days straight. She was receiving radiation and chemo. The journey was tough. I was teaching English online starting at 4:00 a.m., and we would leave by 9:00 a.m. One particular day it was pouring down rain – we were running late – I didn’t realize I had left my debit card in a pair of jeans at home – and we had no money. And you guessed it – I needed gas. We were maybe 30 minutes from Emory.
I had decided I’d pull in at a gas station and just count coins.
As I pulled in and parked at a pump, I looked to my left, and a dear friend was at the pump. I started to cry. My sister did too for she knew very clearly God’s Hand was at work.
After hugging her neck, she immediately asked how she could help me. “How is it that you are here? In Atlanta?” I asked with tears in my eyes.
“I felt God telling me to pull in. I thought it was because I was sleepy and needed coffee,” she whispered. “I didn’t know it was because you needed me.”
The full picture – the bigger picture – God is always working to give us what we need, when we need it.
The disciples did not have the full picture. They did not understand all that would happen in the days ahead, but they obeyed the next instruction given to them.
Faith often unfolds this way.
It is certainty and clarity that we long for; yet God frequently leads us one step at a time, inviting us to trust His provision along the way.
Holy Week is filled with such preparations because everything points to Sunday morning. The morning it all changed for us – the morning Jesus got up, folded His garment, and won. With each day of Holy Week, God is showing us how He weaves our redemption, moment by moment.
Today, you may find yourself in a season of preparation and anticipation. Maybe you are waiting for direction and wondering what comes next. Take comfort in knowing that God is already arranging what you cannot yet see. Your role is not to control the entire story. Your role is to follow step by step faithfully.
Prayer:
Father, help me trust Your guidance in both the big decisions and the quiet moments of preparation. Lead me step by step into Your purposes. Amen.
Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem
Scripture: “As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it.” — Luke 19:41
In the midst of celebration and anticipation, Jesus paused. He looked at the city before Him and wept.
This moment reveals the depth of His compassion. He did not see buildings or crowds alone. He saw hearts. He saw missed opportunities for peace. He saw the pain that would unfold because many could not recognize God’s presence among them.
Sometimes we imagine Jesus only as strong and triumphant; yet, Scripture shows us a Savior who feels deeply, who grieves, and whose love is so profound that it moves Him to tears.
The other day, I stood and watched from the outside something I should be in the middle of, but I’m not a part of. Life sometimes puts us in positions to view others from a distance, to love others from a distance. As I observed, it hurt in ways I cannot describe but also in ways I cannot control. Tears slid down my cheeks. I didn’t even bother to wipe them; I just let them fall. This verse came to my mind, and maybe I felt a very small piece of what Jesus felt that day as He approached Holy Week.
We long for others to make different choices, to see the truth, to receive a different perspective. When it doesn’t happen, the pain is indescribable.
Holy Week invites us to consider the condition of our own hearts. Are we attentive to God’s movement in our lives? Or have we become distracted by busyness, fear, or pride? Do we avoid listening to Him because what He has to say is contrary to what we want to hear?
Jesus offers us peace and a relationship with Him to carry us through to eternity. His tears as He stood outside the city are not a sign of defeat – they are a testimony of love.
Perhaps there are places in your life where you sense God gently calling you back – a relationship to mend – a habit to release – a spiritual practice to renew.
His invitation is always rooted in grace.
Prayer: Jesus, soften my heart to recognize Your presence. Help me respond to Your love with openness and trust. Amen.
Don’t Grow Weary in Doing Good
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
Exhaustion can seep into our souls—not from working long hours or staying up too late, but from doing the right thing over and over and over again when it feels like no one notices. It’s the tiredness that comes from showing kindness to a difficult person, serving in your church when volunteers are scarce, praying for a prodigal child year after year, or faithfully giving when your own resources feel tight.
This weariness is real. The Apostle Paul must have known it when he wrote these words to the Galatians. “Do not become weary in doing good.” Why would he say it unless he knew we would be tempted to stop? Because doing good can sometimes feel like planting seeds in barren soil. We water, we wait, we hope—but the ground looks unchanged.
Maybe you’ve been there. Perhaps you are there right now. You’ve prayed faithfully, but the answer seems delayed. You’ve forgiven someone again, only for them to hurt you once more. You’ve extended generosity, but few have shown gratitude. In moments like these, the enemy whispers: “Why bother? No one sees. It doesn’t matter.”
But Paul gives us a promise: “At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The truth is, the good we sow is never wasted. God sees every hidden act of faithfulness. He treasures every whispered prayer, every unseen sacrifice, every choice to love when bitterness would have been easier. The soil may appear hard and lifeless, but beneath the surface, something is happening. Roots are forming. Life is stirring.
The “proper time” is God’s time, not ours. That’s what makes perseverance so challenging—we don’t get to set the schedule. But we can trust the Gardener of our souls. He knows the right season for the harvest. Sometimes we glimpse it here: a relationship restored, a prayer answered, a life touched. Other times, the full reward won’t be seen until eternity, when Jesus Himself will say, “Well done.”
So what do we do while we wait? I used to sing a song to my children and now to my grandchildren about this very thing. “You’ve gotta wait, wait, wait patiently. You’ve gotta wait, wait, wait patiently. You’ve gotta wait, wait, wait patiently until it’s your turn.”
During the times of waiting, we have to learn to wait for our time. Our time when God works His plan – His miracle – His solution. And while we wait, we must keep sowing, keep showing up, keep loving, serving, praying, and forgiving. Not in our own strength, but through the Spirit who renews us day by day. When weariness presses heavily, we lean on His promise: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Do no let the enemy of your soul convince you that your efforts don’t matter. They do. God sees. He remembers. And He promises a harvest. Keep going. The story isn’t finished yet.
Prayer:
Lord, when I feel tired of doing good, remind me that You see my efforts even when others don’t. Help me not to give up, but to keep sowing in faith, trusting that in Your perfect timing, a harvest will come. Amen.
The Anointing at Bethany
Scripture: “She has done a beautiful thing to Me.” — Mark 14:6
In the small village of Bethany, just days before His crucifixion, Jesus received an unexpected gift.
A woman entered the room carrying an alabaster jar of costly perfume. Without hesitation, she broke it open and poured it over Him. The fragrance filled the house. It was extravagant, emotional, and deeply personal.
Some who witnessed the moment were quick to criticize her and Jesus. They calculated the cost, questioned her judgment, and labeled her act as wasteful.
Contrary to what others saw, Jesus saw something entirely different and called it beautiful.
In a world that often measures worth by productivity and efficiency, this story invites us to consider the value of devotion. The woman in Bethany was not trying to impress anyone. She was responding to love with love.
Her offering reminds us that worship is not always tidy. It is not always logical. Sometimes it looks like tears, sacrifice, and surrender poured out in faith.
Perhaps you have wondered whether your acts of faith matter. The prayer whispered in the car. The kindness extended when no one is watching. The generosity given from a place of trust rather than abundance.
Holy Week assures us that Jesus notices.
He receives what we offer Him with tenderness. Even when others misunderstand. Even when our obedience feels small.
The fragrance of devotion lingers longer than we realize. It touches hearts. It prepares the way. It becomes part of God’s unfolding story.
Today, consider what “alabaster jar” you might be holding. Is there something God is prompting you to release? A fear? A resource? A dream? A moment of gratitude you have been hesitant to express?
True worship often begins where control ends.
Prayer: Jesus, help me love You without reservation. Teach me to offer my life freely, trusting that nothing given to You is ever wasted. Amen.
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When Jesus Set His Face Toward Jerusalem
Scripture: “As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” — Luke 9:51
There are moments in life when we know what lies ahead will be difficult. It is a feeling in our spirit before it ever happens, a conversation we have with ourselves. No one has to tell us that the path is going to be tough. Somehow, we resolve ourselves to do it, despite the fact that we wish we could turn another direction.
I remember when my sister was diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor. The odds were stacked against us, and the road ahead looked very bleak, but we charged ahead, ready to take on the storm.
Jesus experienced this very reality.
Luke tells us that as the time approached for His suffering, death, and ultimate victory, Jesus “set His face” toward Jerusalem. This phrase suggests determination. Resolve. Purpose. He was not drifting into Holy Week. He was walking toward it with full awareness.
Because He already understood the bigger picture, Jesus knew betrayal, pain, and the cross were coming. He knew everything in front of Him had to happen to accomplish God’s plan.
So often, we think obedience should feel easy. We assume that if God is leading us somewhere, the road will be smooth and the outcome comfortable. Yet Scripture shows us again and again that God’s greatest work often unfolds in seasons of uncertainty and surrender.
Jesus teaches us that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is choosing faith even when the future feels heavy.
My sister’s profession was nursing. Her diagnosis was something she fully understood. I still remember her courage as I type this devotion – the radiation, the chemo, the surgery, the belief in God’s ultimate plan.
Maybe you are facing something today that you did not choose: a loss, a diagnosis, a strained relationship or a responsibility that feels overwhelming. You may wish you could avoid it. You may wonder why this path is yours.
Holy Week reminds us that God is not absent in hard roads. He is often most present there.
Jesus walked toward Jerusalem not because He loved suffering, but because He loved us. He trusted the Father’s plan more than His own comfort. And because He did, redemption became possible.
What would it look like for you to “set your face” toward the place God is calling you? What step of obedience might He be asking you to take today?
My sister received her victory when she crossed the finish line in Heaven. She crossed the finish line in Heaven because she believed in the One who sacrificed it all for us.
Prayer: Lord, give me the strength to trust You when the road ahead feels uncertain. Help me walk in obedience, knowing that You are with me every step of the way. Amen.
notesbynora 