ICS Youth Trailblazers Devotionals

240319 – Proverbs 20

Proverbs 20:4: “Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.”  Growth takes work.  Have you ever grown a plant before? It takes a shocking amount of effort and attention! Even without tending to an entire field that requires plowing like Solomon is referring to, potted plants take some serious work.…

240318 – Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19:21:  “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  I led a missions trip to an orphanage in Bolivia during my sophomore year of college. After six months of planning, training, putting a team together and fundraising, we set off for Bolivia! Four days into the trip, I…

240315 – Proverbs 18

Proverbs 18:7:  “The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives.”  The way you speak impacts the way you live.  When I was in middle school, I was really excited to go to the orthodontist. All the cool kids had braces, and I wanted some colored brackets on my…

240314 – Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17:14: “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.”  It’s better to show grace and move on than to start a fight that will lead to destruction.   A breaching dam is no joke. My hometown flooded, and it was absolutely devastating. Homes were destroyed, families were displaced,…

240313 – Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16:3: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”  Whenever you are living to glorify the Lord, you are headed in the right direction.  Life is full of uncertainty. Will you go to college? Where will you go? Who will you marry? Where will you work? How will your kids turn…

240312 – Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15:23: “A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!” Supporting others in times of need brings true joy.  Everyone with an iPhone knows it’s rude to leave people on “read.” To avoid this, I used to procrastinate opening messages until I knew I was ready to answer them.…

240311 – Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:23: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Saying you’ll do something isn’t enough to bring results. You have to act on your intentions to impact change.  The start of a new year is always a time full of healthy aspirations and positive goal-setting. I love setting goals, so I…

240308 – Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:20: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” The people you spend your time with influence who you are going to become.  This is one of the most commonly quoted verses in the book of Proverbs. Sometimes people paraphrase by saying, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you…

240307 – Proverbs 12

Proverbs 12:25: “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Anxiety is not a new struggle. It’s been weighing down hearts since Solomon was king! He gives wise advice for battling anxiety: kind words.  When I get anxious, I kind of space out. Unfortunately, that means I’m out of it when I’m really…

240306 – Proverbs 11

Proverbs 11:17: “Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.” When you set out to hurt others, you ultimately hurt yourself.  I have a vivid childhood memory of climbing onto the top bunk-bed with my sister and piling all of our Beanie Babies onto the ceiling fan. We climbed back down, ran to the…