CFNN Reporter: Brianna Keen 

On Tuesday, Abby Cook led the devotional, coming from Psalms 23:4 and 46:10. Psalms 23:4 says “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” 

Psalms 46:10 says “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” I love these two scriptures because it displays the comfort we can have in the Lord. As a group, we talked about the valleys in our life and times that we had to be still. 

For me personally, my valley is college decisions. I am trying to discern where the Lord wants me to be, but that can be hard to lay fully at His feet because it seems like such a pivotal decision. But isn’t that more reason to give it to Him? I’ve recently had the revelation of “why would I worry about it when the King of the universe can handle it?” 

This has shifted my perspective on worry and doubt significantly, and it helps for me to say out loud, “God is in control.” What a blessing it is that we can hold onto the Prince of Peace whenever we go through valleys! We also talked about how the scripture says to be still. This is something that goes against our flesh; we are constantly trying to get things moving, especially when we don’t see it working out within our self imposed time frame. As humans, we are impatient and crave immediate gratification. However, Jesus is saying to deny that to be still while acknowledging His majesty. 

On Thursday morning, Coach Britt led the FCA devotional on being a beacon of light, the light being Jesus. The scriptures read were Matthew 5:14-16, John 1:1-5, and John 8:12. The main focus of this devotional was the light that we have within us, which is Jesus. 

We reflected on ways that we had stifled that light in the past, whether that be certain actions that didn’t display Jesus or keeping quiet about our faith. It was a great discussion that allowed us all to be vulnerable about our past mistakes. It can be hard to proudly show the light within us when we are surrounded by a broken world that loves to mock and tear down followers of Christ. However, remember that the reward will be far greater than any temporary pleasure or validation from the world.

In the Congo a few days ago, 70 Christians were beheaded by an ISIS affiliate group. These courageous people were killed because of the light within them that they so passionately and bravely shown onto others. Instead of renouncing Jesus Christ, they chose to die a gruesome death. They should be a major inspiration to us. If Christians within countries that get hunted to be killed or tortured can proclaim the gospel and show the light within them, so can you. 

Be bold within your faith, and allow the light of Jesus to shine through you. If you were to tell the people around you in school or work that you were Christian, would they be shocked? Or would they know that because of the way you treat others and present yourself? If you are a follower of Christ, Jesus lives within you. So let His love, grace, kindness, and other attributes shine through you like a beacon for others to see. 

Thank you for reading, and remember to pick up your cross daily!