Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Tough times can mean new beginnings”   Although I write a daily devotional message every day, in my personal time with the Lord I also use daily devotionals written by others. Right now, I am using one called “Soul Fuel” by a man with the name Bear Grylls. Bear is a man’s man. A tough guy. As a young man he was a member of the British Special Forces. He was also one of the youngest climbers to ever scale Mount Everest. He once crossed the Arctic Ocean in an inflatable boat. For seven years he was the host of the Discovery Channel’s show “Man vs Wild” and then another called “Running Wild with Bear Grylls”.   But Bear’s life of adventure almost never happened. While serving in the British Special Forces, he had an accident that almost killed him. He survived, but he broke his back and the accident ended his service in Special Forces. He was in the hospital and in rehab for many months. Afterwards, he was physically weak, in pain, hobbling, and depressed. He felt that the entire trajectory of his life had been altered. Since childhood his father had taught him how to climb mountains and from those earliest of years, he had a dream of one day climbing Mount Everest. But now that dream appeared to be gone.   He wrote, “In those dark nights of the soul in that rehabilitation center, it was the dream of one day getting strong enough again to attempt to climb Everest that drove me on. It became the whole focus of my recovery. Do or die. If I could make it, I would become one of the youngest climbers ever to reach the summit, but the real reason I wanted to attempt it was the feeling that life had given me a precious second chance, and I needed to make use of that.”   As bad as his accident was, and as serious as his injuries were, he wasn’t dead and he wasn’t paralyzed. So, he had something to work with, he had a starting place. But more important, he had strong faith in God. He knew that the Lord wasn’t done with him yet and that even in those tragic circumstances, God was doing something new. “Everything ahead of me was a gift – now what was I going to do with it? With a sense that nothing was impossible, I felt a tiny tingle returning inside of my spirit. God works through the storms of our lives, and tough times so often mean fresh beginnings.”   Bear recovered. He climbed Everest; he had numerous other adventures; he wrote books; he became a television star; he spoke at numerous conferences to inspire other Christians to trust God and to keep going no matter what; and he wrote a great devotional book which I am currently being blessed by.   I don’t know what your circumstances are, but I do know that God is the God of miracles and second chances. Perhaps He is about to do a new thing in your life too.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.” Psalm 139:5-6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God will comfort you”   As a Christian the worst thing you can do when you’re struggling with life-issues is to pull away from God. As a pastor I see this far too often. It usually happens when something occurs in life that you didn’t expect and which is causing you pain or difficulties. Perhaps you lost your job, or maybe there’s a serious illness in your family, or maybe the person you love breaks off the relationship, and you are devastated.   It’s at times like that when you need a close relationship with God more than ever. You need more prayer not less, more Bible reading not less, more time with other Christians not less. But sometimes it’s precisely at those times that a person stops praying, stops reading his or her Bible, and stops attending church. Perhaps they’re mad at God for their circumstances, but rarely does God cause those situations. Mostly it’s just life happening. Normally God doesn’t intervene to prevent situations from happening, but He will help us get through it – if we stay close to Him. The presence of God is the most comforting thing we can experience during those times, and He will always be there.   Let’s read more from Psalm 139. Verses 7-10 tell us: “Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me.”   If God seems far away it’s not because He moved, it’s because you did. God is always right there with you. There’s never a time when He is not there. But there are times when you aren’t aware of His presence because you have pulled away from Him. His presence is not the problem, the condition of your heart is.   When we’re hurting and scared and confused it’s normal to wonder if God is even aware of what you’re going through – or if He cares. Well, He is there, He is aware, and He does care. The thing for you to do right now is to pull closer to Him than ever before, not further away. More prayer, more time reading your Bible, more Christian music, more time with Christian friends, and more time in church is the answer.   The presence of God will comfort you, and the closer you stay to Him the more comfort you will experience.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Just be yourself”   I love reading biographies about confident and successful people. I once read the biography of Barbara Bush by author Susan Page. The title is “The Matriarch”. I’ve always admired Barbara Bush. She was plain-spoken; she seemed to be comfortable in her own skin; and she did not put on airs. She was who she was, and you could take her or leave her, it was fine with her.   So, I was surprised to learn that for much of her life she struggled with a deep-seated sense of insecurity about her looks. It grew out of her childhood. She had an older sister who was very shapely and pretty, and their mother fawned over her. Barbara, by comparison, was plain and a little chubby – and her mother told her so. Her mother frequently criticized her for not being like her sister. That criticism created a sense of insecurity about her looks that she never fully got over.   However, early in her adult life Barbara decided she was not going to try to be someone or something that she obviously was not. She was not shapely and pretty in the cover-girl way. Instead, she was plain and she had a weight problem. So, Barbara decided she was just going to be herself. In good-natured ways she laughed about herself, she joked about her looks and her weight, and she learned to use it to her own advantage. She trained herself to be the epitome of a plain and slightly chubby woman who was poised and confident and comfortable in her own skin. And people loved her for it.   The Apostle Paul knew something about that. First, he was not one of the original apostles of Jesus. Worse, he had persecuted the followers of Jesus, even supervising some of their executions. Beyond that he was evidently a wiry, unattractive little man with a squeaky voice and runny eyes. Therefore, many people didn’t like or respect him. But Paul refused to feel sorry for himself. He embraced his identity as being from God and he ran with it.   I don’t know many of you and therefore, I don’t know what burdens you carry. I don’t know what challenges you face or what limitations you struggle with. But I do know that God loves you exactly the way you are. Beyond that, he can use you for His glory if you will only let him.   Don’t indulge in self-pity and don’t allow others to define you by your imperfections or by your limitations. Celebrate who you are. Be comfortable in your own skin. Just be you. And then, dance.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” John 17:15 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “From caterpillar to butterfly”   There’s a traumatic metamorphosis that must take place for a caterpillar to become a butterfly. After a few weeks of stuffing itself on leaves, the plumb and lazy caterpillar will hang upside down from a tree limb, spin a cocoon around itself, and begin a fourteen-day process of transformation which ends with it emerging from the cocoon as a beautiful butterfly. Although what takes place within the cocoon is scientifically fascinating, it’s the emergence from the cocoon that is pertinent to our discussion this morning.   The story is told of the little boy who found a caterpillar/butterfly just beginning the process of emerging from the cocoon. The creature was fighting and struggling and appeared to be stuck. So, the boy took the blade of his penknife, carefully but fully slit the cocoon, and helped the new butterfly to emerge. However, rather than being a beautiful butterfly spreading its wings and flying away, the creature was ugly and hobbled. It limped around on the ground for a short time then it fell over and died – having never become the beautiful butterfly it was intended to be.   What the boy failed to realize was that the struggle required for the butterfly to emerge from the cocoon was designed by God to force vital fluids throughout all parts of the butterfly’s new body, including its wings. When the struggle was artificially cut short the vital fluids didn’t flow and the body never developed into what it was supposed to be. By short-circuiting the struggle and “helping” the butterfly, the boy doomed it to a short and sad life. It never became the thing of beauty God intended for it to be because it never went through the struggle that would have developed it into that thing of beauty.   In His great prayer for His people recorded in John chapter 17, Jesus didn’t pray for the Father to take us out of the world or to spare us from trials and struggles. Instead, He prayed that God would help us in the middle of those trials and struggles. You see, struggles are just part of life. The struggles help us to grow and to become strong. God develops us into the beautiful people He intends for us to be by having us fight through the obstacles we face.   Whatever struggle or trial you are facing today, it’s an opportunity for you to grow and develop and to become stronger. God probably will not slit the cocoon. Instead, He will let you go through the fight, but you will be a better person because of it.   In God’s view, you are a caterpillar who is becoming a butterfly.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Shift your focus”   Yesterday I told you the story of my old friend Bob, the man who had a terrible accident as a teenager and ended up spending his entire adult life as quadriplegic. Bob made the decision that instead of focusing on his terrible circumstances and the difficulties of life as a quadriplegic, he was instead going to look for and find the goodness of God in the middle of it all, and he would stay focused on that.   Tim Hansel had a similar experience, as recorded in his book “You Gotta Keep Dancin”. After his accident Tim made an entry in his journal that said sometimes it felt like he was in a walking coma. The pain, the drugs, the awful realization that his life had changed forever, all of it combined to create a fog in his mind that was difficult to break through. Just as with Bob, Tim discovered that he had to force himself to focus on God instead of on his circumstances. When he did that, things began to come into focus for him and like Bob, Tim went on to live a productive and victorious life despite his limitations and challenges.   In addition to all the inspiring examples, like Bob and Tim that we see around us every day, we find similar stories in the Bible. Job was a man who suffered terribly. For reasons he couldn’t begin to comprehend he lost his children, his wealth, his health, and his influence. In short order he went from being a healthy and wealthy man who was admired and respected by all, to sitting in dust and ashes amidst the rubble of his life. In the middle of it all he famously declared, “But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end, he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh.” Job 19:25-26   Psalm 27 is also a great passage of assurance and confidence, this one written by King David. In it he writes about the threat of adversaries and adversities, of evildoers and of enemies. He starts the Psalm in verse one with the rhetorical questions, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – whom should I dread?” Then for eleven verses he writes about a series of potential threats and challenges, finally concluding in verses 13 and 14, “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14   Who or what are you fearing today? I encourage you to shift your focus from your circumstances to your God.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28” (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God is working on it”   Not all things are good. No, some things are bad – sometimes very bad. So, as we read a verse like Romans 8:28 we need to look carefully at what it does say – and at what it does not say. It does not say that all things are good. It does say that in some manner, God works all things out for the ultimate good of those who love him and who are called according to his purpose. That’s different.   Earlier in life I had a friend by the name of Bob. He was a talented and promising young athlete who seemed to have a bright future. But then he suffered an injury on the football field which left him as a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. From that point forward Bob would need someone to dress him, prepare his food, empty his human waste bag, and with almost every other basic daily task. It was a devastating and life-changing accident.   But Bob was a strong Christian, and he knew that God was with him in the middle of those awful circumstances. God did not cause the accident, but He was at work behind the scenes bringing good things out of it. So, Bob determined that rather than focusing on how bad things were, he would instead look for evidence of God at work in the middle of those bad circumstances.   Over time he learned how to operate a motorized wheelchair, and he learned how to drive a specially equipped van. He eventually went to college and earned a master’s degree in family counseling, and then he spent the rest of his life counseling families and helping to restore relationships. He also wrote songs, sang in the choir at church, and taught Sunday school. His life ended up being a great inspiration to others who were faced with serious challenges. Through it all Bob gave the glory to God and he just kept going.   I don’t know what your big challenge in life is, but I do know that if you are a Christian then God is at work behind the scenes to bring good things out of your bad situation. A big part of my friend Bob’s success, and the victory he had over his circumstances, was his perspective that God was at work in the middle of it all. So, Bob looked right past his circumstances and found God at work. You can do that too in the middle of your own difficult situations today.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.” Genesis 39:22-23 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t give in to self-pity”   All this month we’re exploring a theme that’s related to our theme from last month which was “Lighten up a little.” That was about learning to live a more care-free and enjoyable life with a light-hearted demeanor. Doing so is a quality-of-life issue. This month we’re considering the role perseverance and tenacity play in achieving a better quality of life. Tough times will come and we must learn to deal with them in a positive and constructive way rather than being crushed and defeated by them. One way we do that is by refusing to give in to self-pity.   One of my heroes is General Colin Powell. He was a four-star Army General. He rose to the highest ranks of both military and civilian leadership in our nation, serving in various capacities in the administrations of four U.S. Presidents, including as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as Secretary of State.   General Powell had a set of principles which guided his own life, and which he looked for in others. He called them “Powell’s Principles”. He had one regarding self-pity. It reads, “I am capable of self-pity, but not for long.” That principle acknowledges the truth that self-pity is a natural human emotion, and we are all susceptible to it. So, the question is not if we will sometimes feel sorry for ourselves, but how long will we allow ourselves to wallow in self-pity? The person who wallows in self-pity will live a defeated life. The person who shrugs it off and just keeps going will excel regardless of the unfortunate circumstances they are faced with.   That was the case with Joseph in the book of Genesis. Hated by his brothers; sold into slavery in Egypt; falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown into prison for years; Joseph had plenty of reasons to feel sorry for himself. But even though the Bible used fifteen chapters to tell Joseph’s story, there isn’t even a hint of self-pity in it. Not once. I believe that was a big part of the success Joseph experienced and why God was able to bless him so much. Joseph refused to give in to self-pity. That doesn’t mean he never experienced even a twinge of it, it just means he refused to live there. He refused to wallow in it.   I want to share with you a few inspiring statements about resisting self-pity from Tim Hansel’s book “You Gotta Keep Dancin”:   “The choice for all of us is not if we will accept pain, but how.” In other words, you will have painful and hurtful experiences in your life, it’s inevitable, and you will have to make a choice about how you allow them to impact you.      “If you can’t change your circumstances, change the way you respond to them.” Same point expressed a little differently.   “What a test of character adversity is. It can either destroy or build up, depending on our chosen response.”   I encourage you to resist the temptation to wallow in self-pity. Shake it off and deal with your circumstances in a positive way that honors God and inspires others. Your quality of life will be better if you do.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “God will enable you”   Our theme this month was inspired by Tim Hansel’s great little book, “You Gotta Keep Dancing.” It was based upon the story of his own life after he suffered a life-altering accident that left him crippled and in pain for the rest of his life. Tim resolved to live life and to live it large, despite the constant pain and the significant limitations his injuries created for him.   I’m so grateful to God for all the good examples He has shown me of determined people who refused to give-up. These are people who had to deal with great adversity, but who were determined to live life and to keep dancing. They turned to God, they leaned on Him, they drew their strength, courage, and hope from Him, and then they lived to the fullest possible under the prevailing circumstances.   There was once a man in our church named Tom who had a massive stroke which left him bedridden. He had to be fed and changed and bathed. Although the doctors expected some level of recovery, they told him he would never walk again. But he refused to accept that diagnosis. He called to God for help and then he asked for a walker. He forced himself out of bed and he learned to walk. Then they told him he would never be able to drive a vehicle again. So, he got his car keys, got some help, and learned to drive again. Then they told him he would never be able to work again. So, he grabbed his walker and his car keys, drove to some businesses, and found himself a job.   For more than thirty years after that stroke, until he went to heaven a few years ago, he walked, drove, and worked – even though he was supposed to be able to do none of those things. Oh, and he was in church virtually every time the doors were open. I’m grateful to have known him and to have had him as a friend.   At about that same time there was another man who had a heart condition that was going to require open heart surgery. The situation was serious. Was he concerned about it? Of course he was. Was he taking the appropriate doctor-suggested precautions to guard his health until he could get the surgery? Yes. Did he give in to fear, afraid to do anything and live instead in a protective bubble until the surgery? No. No he didn’t. Instead, he trusted the situation to the Lord, he took reasonable precautions, and he lived his life. He went to work; he participated in his ministry assignments in church; he continued his outdoor recreational activities; and he continued to live his life as best he could under the conditions as they were.   I don’t know what your situation is, but I do know that if you want to keep dancing the Lord will help you to keep dancing. You don’t have to give-in, give-up, or shut-down. Commit your circumstances and your life to the Lord, resolve to do your best to honor Him in the middle of it all – and then dance.   God bless, Pastor Jim     (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “What If?”   “What if?” What if I lose my job? What if I don’t have enough money to pay my bills? What if my spouse gets sick? What if I get sick? What if the wrong candidate gets elected? What if …?   If we aren’t careful, we can live our life based on the “what ifs”. What if this and what if that and what if all sorts of things. The problem with the “what ifs” is that we don’t know the answer to the question. Beyond that, most of the “what if” scenarios will never happen. I read a study one time which revealed that something like 80% of the things we worry about never happen. Another 10% do happen but turn out good rather than bad. Only about 10% of the things we worry about happen and turn out to be bad, but even then, the result is seldom as bad as we thought it would be. And yet, “What if …”   Fear, doubt, and worry about the future are common and natural. We all do it, especially when we’re struggling through difficult circumstances and the outcome is uncertain. Our thoughts and feelings about such things are deceptive and lead us to all sorts of wild conclusions. The answer in such situations is to focus on and trust in the promises of God as given to us in the Bible. We need to read, memorize, and focus on what God has told us is true about Himself, and we need to remember the promises He has made to us.   In his book “The Hand of God: Finding His Care in All Circumstances”, Alistair Begg writes, “… the reality and truth of who God is and the promises He has made are more significant than the doubts and misgivings that so frequently arise in the life of a believer. The antidote to this kind of self-condemnation and fear and mistrust is a solid, experiential grasp of what the Bible has to say.”   Bible study, memorizing Bible promises, listening to Christian music, being in church and surrounding yourself with supportive brothers and sisters, are all ways in which we focus on God and His promises rather than on our feelings, fears, and doubts.   The great Protestant reformer Martin Luther had a cute little poem he wrote to remind himself of this. In contemporary language it goes:   For feelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving. My peace is in the Word of God, nothing else is worth believing. Though all my heart should feel condemned for want of some sweet token, There is One greater than my heart whose Word cannot be broken.     I encourage you to trust God and not your feelings. Fight the “What ifs” by immersing your mind and heart in the character and promises of God. Isaiah 41:10 (above) would be a good place to start.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”   Our Bible verse for today: “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Resolve to live well anyway”   Yesterday I introduced you to the story of Tim Hansel. After the rock-climbing accident that left him permanently disabled and in chronic pain for the rest of his life Tim had a decision to make. He had to decide how he was going to deal with his affliction and what kind of life he was going to lead from that point forward. He could live the rest of his life feeling sorry for himself and complaining; he could rely on massive amounts of drugs to kill the pain and dull his senses; or he could resolve to push through it as best he could and live life to the fullest under the prevailing circumstances. Tim chose life.   It wasn’t easy. In fact, it was hard. Very hard. Tim said he couldn’t remember a day when he woke up and felt good. The moment he opened his eyes the struggle began for that day.   He said one thing that helped tremendously were the examples of other people who were dealing with, or had dealt with, similar or even worse circumstances. The courageous examples of other people inspired him to deal with his own situation with courage, dignity, and grace. He thought of those people as “everyday heroes who have chosen not to be victims but gallant fighters in spite of incredible odds.”   He also resolved that he would not allow his affliction and the resulting challenges to define him. He would not make it the center of his life. Sometimes when people are dealing with difficult life issues it becomes all they think about, all they talk about. Tim decided not to do that. But he also decided he wouldn’t hide from it either. Sometimes people try to pretend the situation doesn’t exist (when it obviously does), and it becomes a forbidden topic of conversation. Here’s the balance Tim arrived at:   “There is a delicate balance between being honest and being overly dramatic. I want to admit struggle without giving way to despair. And I want the ultimate message to be positive without sounding pious or tinny.”   In other words, if there was a reason to talk about his constant physical pain, or if someone asked about it, he talked about it openly and honestly. But he didn’t make a big dramatic deal of it either. It simply was. That’s all. It’s just what the situation was, nothing more and nothing less.   The lesson for us from Tim’s example is that he accepted his situation and he resolved to deal with it well. He woke up each day and prayed for strength to handle the challenges with grace and dignity. He then leaned into it, pushed through it, and just lived life. That’s a pretty inspiring example for the rest of us.   May you have the courage and grace to live well today despite whatever challenges you may have to deal with.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571