Scripture:
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1
Opening Prayer
LORD Jesus,
Thank You for meeting us in places no one else can see.
When the battle is in the heart, remind us that Your presence is still real.
When despair speaks loudly, let Your truth speak louder.
When we feel abandoned, remind us that You are near.
And when You place words in our hands to share with others, give us the courage to write them faithfully.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Divine Interruption
In every journey, we will meet people who will point us back to Jesus when we get lost. For me, one of them was Sarah Young. Sarah was sent as a messenger of divine interruption.
I believe I first encountered Sarah Young’s writing around 2003.
I did not know her personally.
I met her through the pages of her book, Jesus Calling.
At the time, I had nearly lost all hope.
A cousin had given me the book weeks earlier, but I had not opened it.
I had no interest in encouragement.
I had no strength left for another promise.
Then came a day when despair had become so heavy that I reached toward the gun hidden in our closet.
But before I reached it, I looked down.
There was the book.
Jesus Calling.
I picked it up instead.
I opened it.
And what I read struck me with such force that it felt like writing on a wall:
“I am not punishing you.”
I needed those words.
Not because a book could save me.
Not because an author could take Jesus’s place.
But because God used words written by someone I had never met to interrupt a moment of terrible despair.
That day, the direction of my hand changed.
Instead of reaching for death, I reached for words that pointed me back toward life.
The Battlefield Was in My Heart
For years afterward, I carried two books.
First, the Bible.
And alongside it, Jesus Calling.
I carried them like a soldier carries what is necessary for battle.
But my battlefield was not a field anyone else could see.
It was in my heart.
Fear.
Condemnation.
Confusion.
Shame.
Hopelessness.
The belief that perhaps God had abandoned me.
The suspicion that suffering meant I was being punished.
Those were the battles.
And over time, Scripture began teaching me what was true.
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
— Psalm 34:18
“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.”
— John 10:27
I needed blessed assurance.
I needed to know God’s presence hadn’t left me.
And I needed those reminders again and again.
Every single day, and in every moment of each day, called, Today.
That was where Day’s Journey was planted sixteen years ago.
A Writer I Never Met
What moves me now is that Sarah Young did not know me personally.
She did not know where I would be standing.
She did not know what kind of day I would be having.
She didn’t know her words would one day become part of my survival story.
But she wrote.
And she prayed for those who would read.
That mattered to me, and I pray for those who visit Day’s Journey because of her example.
Because I didn’t believe anyone cared enough about me to pray for me. Sarah prayed for me too.
Because sometimes a writer never sees the person who needs the words.
But one day, I sent her a message through Facebook Messenger; I didn’t think she would read it, but I wrote it anyway to give God glory. God made sure she read my testimony. Why? I don’t know.
Perhaps she didn’t think her writings mattered.
The writer may never receive the phone call, witness the tears.
Never know that someone opened a book at exactly the right moment.
Her obedience happened first. The fruit came much later.
Sometimes years later. Sometimes in another state, or in another country.
Sometimes in the heart of someone standing on the edge of despair.
That is why writing your story matters. God can save someone through your story.
Words That Point to The Word
A devotional is not Scripture.
An author is not the Holy Spirit.
A book is not Jesus.
But God can still use faithful words to point someone toward Him.
That is the difference.
Jesus said:
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me.”
— John 5:39
The purpose of Christian writing is not to become the destination.
It is to become a signpost.
A lamp.
A hand pointing toward Christ.
That is what happened for me.
Sarah’s words pointed me back toward Jesus.
Then the Bible became my anchor.
The Power of Writing What God Gives You
I think differently about writing now.
Sometimes we assume a story only matters if many people read it. Or if a publisher notices it.
Or if it becomes successful. But what if one person needs it?
What if one frightened child needs the story? What if one grieving mother needs the prayer?
What if one lonely person needs the reminder? What if one reader, somewhere, reaches for the page instead of giving in to despair?
Then the writing mattered. Sarah Young’s work taught me that.
She wrote what she believed God had placed on her heart. And those words reached me.
Years later, my testimony was included in Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions with Real-Life Stories. That still humbles me. The book that once interrupted my despair later carried part of my own story, so that perhaps someone else might be reminded that God is near in the darkest places.
Sacred Pause
Think about the words that have carried you.
A Scripture. A prayer. A book.
A sentence someone spoke. A song. A letter.
Ask:
LORD, what words have You used to keep me anchored?
Then ask:
Have You placed something in my heart that I am afraid to share?
Do not worry about how many people will see it.
Ask instead:
Who might need it?
And remember:
Faithfulness is not measured only by reach.
Sometimes faithfulness is measured by whether we wrote what we were given to write.
Prayer of Repentance
Father,
Forgive me when despair spoke louder than Your truth.
Forgive me when I believed suffering meant You had abandoned me.
Forgive me when I treated condemnation as though it came from You.
Forgive me when fear caused me to bury the words You placed in my heart.
Teach me to recognize Your voice.
Teach me to remain anchored in Scripture.
Teach me to receive encouragement without replacing You with the messenger.
And if You give me something to write, help me offer it faithfully.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Today’s Prayer
LORD Jesus,
Thank You for the people who wrote before me.
Thank You for the authors who prayed over words they would never see fulfilled.
Thank You for the books that pointed hurting people back toward hope.
Thank You for meeting me when the battlefield was in my heart.
When condemnation returns, remind me:
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
When I feel alone, remind me:
You are near.
When I write, keep me humble.
Let my words never replace Your Word.
Let them point toward You.
And if even one person finds hope because I was faithful enough to write,
let all the glory return to You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Scripture References
Romans 8:1
Psalm 34:18
John 10:27
John 5:39–40
Psalm 119:105
2 Corinthians 1:3–4
1 Corinthians 3:6–7
In Memory of Sarah Young
With gratitude for the life and work of Sarah Young, author of Jesus Calling and other devotionals that encouraged readers to seek the presence of Christ.
Her writing became part of my own testimony during a time of profound despair. I honor her memory with gratitude for her faithfulness in writing words that pointed me toward Jesus when I desperately needed hope.
Acknowledgment
I used AI assistance to shape and organize this reflection. The personal testimony, spiritual discernment, and final message remain with the author.