Proverbs 3:5
May 7, 2026

Learning to Trust God When Life Feels Confusing and Painful

During Lent, our confirmation students met with mentors to talk about faith and life—growing in identity, belonging, and purpose through caring relationships. Together they also co-wrote reflections on a Bible verse, and we’ll be sharing these devotionals throughout the Easter season as an invitation to embrace thoughtful dialogue and respond to God’s grace with love in the world.

This devotional was written by 8th grader Ryan Miller and his mentor Ken Wills

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" - Proverbs 3:5

I need to trust in God because God will never fail me. I can always trust God. Sometimes my faith can be confusing, but I trust in God that He will lead me in the right direction. Sometimes during worship service I don’t always understand the sermon but during the week sometimes a situation will come up in life where the meaning of the sermon and the readings become apparent. I don’t always understand the Bible and Bible stories. God gives me teachers, pastors, good parents, good friends, and camp counselors to help me understand them and be patient explaining them to me.

In life it is okay to not know everything which is a hard reality. Nobody on earth will ever know everything that has happened, is happening, or will happen but I believe God is all-knowing so I trust in His promises that He makes to me. Promises like, grace whenever I make a mistake, unconditional love so no matter what I do God will never stop loving me and shining His light on me, and He promises He will always be with me to protect me and guide me. He does not promise that I won’t struggle or face hard times, but he just promises he will see me through the struggles and he won’t abandon me in hard times.

In my own life I am currently trusting God because all of my friends betrayed me and abandoned me and then spoke bad about me to others. They caused me a lot of suffering. I am trusting God to protect me and guide me through this. He is blessing me with new friends who welcomed me with open arms. I believe God has forgiven my mistakes that hurt my friends even if they don’t forgive me when I apologize. I also believe God is guiding me through because there are many people who have checked in on me and helped me along the way.

When David is talking to God in Psalms he says something that relates deeply to me and speaks to me. David says:

19Many have become my enemies without cause;

those who hate me without reason are numerous.

20Those who repay my good with evil

lodge accusations against me,

though I seek only to do what is good.

21Lord, do not forsake me;

do not be far from me, my God.

22Come quickly to help me,

my Lord and my Savior.

So just like David I will trust in God and pray the same thing, Lord do not forsake me do not be far from me my God Come quickly to help me my Lord and my Savior.

365: The History of the Church Section 1 Part 1

By Unknown • June 16, 2026

365: The History of the Church Section 1

By Unknown • June 15, 2026
This devotional series explores key moments in church history, divided into thematic and historical sections with several parts. It is a long and winding story that began on Pentecost and continues to be written by us and by the Holy Spirit today. SECTION 1 – The Church of the Holy Spirit The church began with breath.  A violent wind filled an upper room and scattered ordinary people into the world with extraordinary news. From that first Pentecost morning, the Spirit has been the church’s constant companion, guiding, correcting, and surprising us through twenty centuries of imperfect faithfulness. The devotions in this section explore pivotal moments when the Spirit moved through imperfect people to shape the church’s story. From Paul’s dramatic conversion to the Council of Jerusalem’s radical inclusion, we see the same God who breathed life into the first disciples still breathing life into us today. We are part of this continuing story; inheritors of a wind that refuses to be contained. Nate Preisinger Bethany Lutheran Church Sent with SubsplashUnsubscribe from all emails

365: Third Sunday after Pentecost

By Unknown • June 14, 2026
Click to watch video Today is the Third Sunday after PentecostWe encourage you to join in for worship at Bethany this weekend either in person or through our livestream.   For an additional devotional reflection, we invite you to watch this reflection from Pastors Gary and Nate on the Feast Day of Peter and Paul last year.Peter the humble fisherman. Paul the privileged Roman citizen. Two wildly different origin stories, yet both were rescued, transformed, and called by God to lead the early Church. Pastors Nate Preisinger and Gary Sandberg reflect on the shared feast day of Saints Peter and Paul and what their lives teach us about grace, redemption, and purpose. Through shame and denial, pride and persecution, God rescued Peter and Paul, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of the Gospel. And that same story of rescue continues today. In baptism, in forgiveness, in community, we are rescued too. 365 Daily Devotional Bethany Lutheran Church Sent with SubsplashUnsubscribe from all emails
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